Bob Allen: I'm staying put

State Rep. Bob Allen, whose legal troubles are by now well known, moments ago sent e-mail to fellow lawmakers that makes clear he has no intention of stepping down.

Dear Fellow Colleague,

All of our lives we have heard that "Innocent Until Proven Guilty" is the foundation of our judicial system. It is what makes America unique. As lawmakers, I know more than anyone you understand and appreciate this important principle. 

You never realize how important that is until you are accused of something terrible and you have to defend yourself. It is my nature never to hide, but to straightforwardly answer the obvious general and specific questions about these charges. However, our judicial process requires me to work through my legal counsel and the judicial system. 

I am vigorously pursuing the plea of Not Guilty. This is an outrageous accusation that I intend to disprove through the judicial system. (Read the full letter in comments.)

Comments

[Alex Leary]

Dear Fellow Colleague,
All of our lives we have heard that "Innocent Until Proven Guilty" is the foundation of our judicial system. It is what makes America unique. As lawmakers, I know more than anyone you understand and appreciate this important principle.
You never realize how important that is until you are accused of something terrible and you have to defend yourself. It is my nature never to hide, but to straightforwardly answer the obvious general and specific questions about these charges. However, our judicial process requires me to work through my legal counsel and the judicial system.
I am vigorously pursuing the plea of Not Guilty. This is an outrageous accusation that I intend to disprove through the judicial system.
I want each of you to know how much I appreciate the many calls of encouragement and support I've received. The situation before me is unbelievably troublesome on many levels. My family has grown stronger and is ready to face the challenge of receiving justice.
As a member of the Legislature, I look forward to continuing our working together to improve our State for all Floridians.
With Kind Regards, I Remain,
Sincerely,
Bob Allen

What a moron. Wait until the audio tape is released, Bob. Can't wait to see what email you send everyone then...

there's audio?

He was just looking for a little protein in his diet

Allen is innocent until proven guilty. Look at Siplin: He's been proven guilty AND he's still in the Senate.

I am glad he is staying put...nothing worse then while being "handled" , having to chase the person around, kinda takes the relaxing part out of it

As a Republican, I am willing to at least listen to Allen's side of the story, but it had better be damned good or he's gone.

Bob Allen and Michael Vick are both innocent until proven guilty--that is the American Way.

The NFL and Falcons are more concerned about their image than the Florida legislature.

welcome to the senate sandy adams. bob can sit in the state pen and altman can laugh at bob while he sits in the house.

Sandy Adams doesn't live in the district. It's Altman's to lose.

WOW
This is great, it would be like if Foley ran after he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
This is going to be a great election cycle for the Dems

Nike has suspended the sale of Bob Allen jerseys until further notice.

Unbelievable!

BOB, you were in a park after hours going in and out of a men's room. IT'S OBVIOUS!

Stop embarrassing yourself, your FAMILY, your constituents, Brevard County, and the Republican Party of Florida.

Are you going to use the, "my prostate was acting up and swallowed 5 too many FloMaxes". Is that the kinda crap you're going to pull?

Get out of the Legislature, loser!

Where can I find the full story?

Why does Bobby Allen hate our police?

And he thinks we're going to believe HIM over a police officer simply doing HIS JOB? Give me a break Bobby Allen - pack up your office and make room for a morally straight representative.

Bob

If you had a shred of decency you would resign.

If I were your wife I would have said: Bob it's been nice knowing you.... and there's the door. And for the good of the Republican party please resign.

How can you put our state thru another episode like this after we just had the Mark Foley scandal? For bad immmoral choices there are always consequences.

Be honorable and do the right thing.

[Denton]

I'm sure the PD had nothing better to do than hang around a known "gay" bathroom and wait to frame some guy. I'm also certain that they decided to conspire to have a witness to the proposition and even made up the audio/video.
This guy is a joke! He needs to resign.

The story in the Sentinel said that he approached an undercover officer who was trying to catch a burglar in the neighborhood. At first I had thought it was some kind of sting operation, but it turns out it wasn't. If it all happened as advertised, what luck! What are the chances that of all the people in the world to encounter in a public restroom, it happens to be an undercover cop working on a completely unrelated case! It it's all true, somebody's got some bad Karma going on!

Bob's going down....again....gross!

"My family has grown stronger and is ready to face the challenge of receiving justice."

If he's not guilty, one would think "receiving justice" would not be a challenge, but rather a relief....

...Freudian slip?

Bob- try the Mark Foley defense:

1. I am an alcoholic
2. I am a closet gay man
3. I was molested by a priest.

Go to rehab and then resign after qualifying so that whoever the Republican Party picks to run for your seat has to have people "touch" Bob Allen on the ballot. Yeah, that will work out just fine.

caucus

5:13 Does Sandy Adams know she lives in the wrong district?

[Bill in Tampa]

"5:13 Does Sandy Adams know she lives in the wrong district?"

5:13 failed their geography class in grade school as she most certainly does live in that Senate District.

[mike]

As a Republican I say he has to go. Not because he was soliciting sex in a park restroom, but because his denial is so offensive to anyone with common sense. One of two things happened - 1. He did it. 2. He was just strolling through the park, and a group of cops decided to concoct an elaborate story, risking their careers and prison time for perjury, in order to arrest some shlub for misdemeanor solicitation. I'm sure it's hard to own up to something like this, but insulting our intelligence with these absurd denials just makes it worse.

Mike, every time I hear this story, it changes. Was it a group of cops? Because the article in the Senitnel implied that there was only one cop involved. I'm not defending or accusing, I'm simply asking.

I really, REALLY hope that the Allen family never has to call on the police in their town for assistance. It would be a long day in hell before anyone showed up .... I'm thinking.

Fatboy Allen should just resign. Lucky he did not get caught by Chris Hansen.

Both Adams and Altman are in the district. Altman wins.

Adams and Altman are both residents. Do you really think that district wants another "family values" Republican man? Adams wins.

[Justin]

I’m sure he was one of the first ones in the legislature as he ran tripping over colleagues to vote on tough and sometimes unconstitutional sex offender laws - to later proclaim himself as a champion.

What goes around comes around.

Altman. Brevard loves him.

1144-

strange logic you have there...

[David]

the guy is panicking....what did you think he was going to do, ADMIT it? I have heard the audio.....a little shakey, but.....

Hey Bob, remember how you lied about having a college degree and stuff like that back when you ran for Senate the first time. Makes me wonder if you are not telling the truth again, but I'm willing to give you the benefit and let the people judge you during your trial.

Of course he's going to fight for this job - it is a part-time job with better than full-time state employee benefits AND he isn't qualified for anything else - he doesn't even qualify for many of the support staff positions with the state. And with this hanging over his head, he'd have to move to NY or California to get a job as a lobbyist!!!

But don't forget - he's getting a 3% raise!!!!

And I am tellin' you! I'm not going...

[Cynical Idealist]

Aw, jeez, 5:59, why bring lobbyists into this? We weren't hanging around the bathroom waiting for a blow pop...

Re: NY or CA, if he came out of the closet, he could move out there and get elected by trashing "those big, bad, mean Floridians who talk values but cruise gay hangouts."

Wait. That'd be the pot calling the kettle black....

[RJM]

This guy, Sen. Dawson, and Sen. Siplin all need to resign. In that order.

[Sadie Goldberg]

1. Sandy Adams lives in the Senate District Bob Allen is planning on running for.
2. Where is the House Leaders? No comments from them?
3. Niki was only carrying the triple X (all pun intended) in Bob Allen Jersey's.
4. When he said his family would be at the press conference but they were getting their daughter (step daughter by the way) ready for college - first thought came to my mind was I had 2 children go to college and it didn't take all summer to get ready.

When will Bob Allen check himself into a rehab center and blame "ole demon rum" for his sexual tastes? How many of the born-again dingbats will buy that load of crap?

[Michael Vick]

Word.

They’re tryin to make me go to rehab.
I said no, no, no.

Bob, yes you are innocent until proven guilty. But you could do better in handling this for you, your family and your party. If you've been wrongly accused, your lawsuit against the officer should have been filed long ago. If you haven't, you should have come forward with the truth long ago.

At least you could tell us that Siplin made you do it? Damned Democrats will stop at nothing to embarrass Republicans!

They should feed him to Michael Vick's dog. Maybe not. Too much fat will give the dog the runs.

Bob why don't you get on your knees and beg for forgiveness, whoops you already tried that and look at the position you found yourself in you fat piece of garbage!

[Smirkalicious]

So wait, you DIDN'T try to pay a man twenty dollars to go down on you? And I thought the first story was confusing enough.

[Smirkalicious]

I mean, to go down on him. My point exactly.

as a matter of information, no state employees - including state legislators - are receiving a raise this year, much less a 3% raise. get your facts straight.

[Paul D. Harvill]

Posted by: | July 31, 2007 at 04:52 PM
........................

However there is a one-time $1,000 "bonus", meaning really about $667 after taxes, Social Security, etc.

And the "bonus" is effective November 1.

Bob what is this about? How long have you been doing this?