U.S. Sugar sweetens the pot

In recent months, U.S. Sugar Corp. gave $70,000 to the Republican Party of Florida, according to the latest campaign finance data available (through March 31; a new report will be filed next week). No one else came close to receiving that much from the sugar giant that has agreed to sell 187,000 acres to the state for $1.75- billion.

Other 2008 receipients of Big Sugar's largesse in recent months: Sen. Mike Haridopolos' Committee for Florida's Fiscal Future, $10,000 on Feb. 28; Florida's Working Families, a pro-sugar political committee, $10,000 on Feb. 18; the Florida Democratic Party, $5,000 on Feb. 12; Florida's Mainstream Democratic Forum, a political group that helps centrist Democratic legislators, $5,000 on Jan. 11.   

Comments

Did anyone stop to get an appraisal on the value of this land? Did anyone of Crist's liberal friends think about using emminent domain for a taking for the public good? So Stipanovich and Brian Ballard arranged the deal with a compliant Crist. Where was the public's side represented. This sounds as crooked as Chiles' tobacco settlement that enriched all of his friends.

This can't be legal!!

US Sugar, like every other group, gives more to the party in charge. They and everyone else gave more to the Democrat party when they were in charge.

1:18

It's completely legal and has been going on for years. For less than pennies on the dollar (.00004 to be exact) you can donate $70,000 and get $1.75 billion and a sugar subsidy to boot. Isn't America great?

[terminator]

this sounds like Crist's MO.

He did the same with FPL.

It's the quid pro quo at work again.

Did anyone check to see how much they US sugar gave him for his campaign to get elected? 70k is small potatos compared to his 06 campaign. They have worked together for awhile, this is nothing new people.