Rep. Glorioso's campaign check from Jay Odom

When Rep. Rich Glorioso was in his first campaign five years ago he got a $500 campaign contribution from Crystal Beach Development of Destin, a firm owned by Jay Odom, the developer under indictment along with former House Speaker Ray Sansom.

Glorioso said Friday he didn't know who owned the company. But after the Florida Democratic Party red-flagged the Oct. 25, 2004 contribution, Glorioso called Dudley Goodlette, chief of staff in the speaker's office, and offered to resign from the five-member Select Committee created Friday to probe Sansom's conduct.

"I told him if the speaker wanted me to pull off, I would pull off. But I think I can be fair and balanced," Glorioso said. 

Glorioso, a Plant City Republican and 65-year-old retired Air Force commander, said it was silly to suggest that a $500 donation made five years ago would taint his objectivity. "If we make a decision obased on one campaign check, none of us belong up here," he said. "Let's be reasonable here."  

Glorioso said he's pretty sure that Sansom himself brought him the check from Odom's company (at the time, Sansom was running for speaker for the 2008-10 cycle against Rep, Bill Galvano of Bradenton, who will chair the Select Committee. "I think it was Ray," Glorioso said. "He gave me a handful of checks. I'm sure that's where the check came from. Ray was going around to all of the candidates offering campaign contributions."

Comments

[LOL at fair and balanced]

we all know that fair and balanced means to bad mouth the democrats for half the time and praise the republicans the other half.there is a reason he was picked,this was jusst more back room closed door dealing from our NON leader larry cretul.

[Sarah Walhquist]

Glorioso is a crook.
He probably took the check in the House chamber which is a felony violation in and of itself.
He should resign!

[Better than you]

Sarah, do you have any proof? if not shut up. Chair Glorioso is a fair person, who is not a crook and does well to represent the people who have voted for him. And before you accuse me of being a staffer for him, I have worked AGAINST Chair Glorioso on many issues.

[Glorioso Should Return all the Sansom Cash]

If Rep. Glorioso wanted to be fair he would contribute all the tainted money that he received from Sansom to charity.

I know that the GOP believes that charity starts at home and, like Bill McCollum, the Republicans are going to keep the $1 million+ in donations that they received from Jay Odom.

[shame on the times]

Another liberal article from the Times... aided by their friends in the Democrat Party.

Glorioso is a straight shooter.

[What A Joke]

Context:

Alex Sink gets caught breaking the law by using the state plane as her family taxi (see the AP article).

Glorioso gets drafted for a thankless mission.

But this blog takes cheap shots at the latter and ignores the former.

[William Norris]

Rep Glorioso was appointed because the Speaker of the House knows this group has to be above reproach. He is a straight talking, retired Air Force Col. who has more heart than most of the people I have met in watching and trying to influence my government.

[@]

Glorioso said. "He gave me a handful of checks."

Did Glorioso even raise money in his own district or was he just the mule of leadership?

[G]

Rep. Glorioso is a great man. He has great character and is extremely ethical. He is a man that cares a great deal about the state of Florida and has defended this country proudly for nearly 30 years. His life has revolved around service to this nation. Have respect for a man that has made his life work defending and shaping our nation and state. As for these ridiculous accusations, Rep. Glorioso had no foul intentions and like every campaigning candidate, took the money in an effort to have the ability to promote his message to his constituents.

[whasup]

My goodness. Instead of taking a cheap, stupid, and low-blow shot at Rep. Glorioso, you'd think the Democrats, liberals, and their fellow travelers and fifth columnists in the press would be praising him for presiding over raising all those transportation user fees and fines, instead of general taxes, to feed the leftists' beloved beast that is the bloated bureaucracy up in Tallahassee.

Ask yourself this: if Glorioso was not a good man, with sound judgment, strong ethics, and common sense, and were inclined to not make a fair decision in this case, why would he offer to withdraw from this committee?

Heck, he's so inclined to be fair and proper, in this thankless chore of judging Sansom, that the false, minor perception of impartiality brought on by this whacky attack caused him to offer to withdraw.

[tom]

You people are really dedicated to undermining the confidence of the public in all elected officials aren't you?! To suggest that Glorioso would even remember this donation is bull. Yes, he remembers Sansom bringing checks but I can assure you he had no idea nor did he care that one or more came from Odom. Rich is too big a person for you to even hint he'd let this check influence him. He has far more integrity than all the newspapers in this state combined. Shut up and go get a job that will do some good!

[Return the Cash]

Taking a handful of checks from a questionable legislator, Glorioso should resign and the House should investigate him.

And by the way, Glorioso supported Sansom for speaker because Ray bought his vote. That hardly sounds like the type of person we want in Tallahassee.

[Taxpayer]

If Rep. Glorioso voted to fund the Sansom/Odom airplane hangar, he should step down from the investigation.

The Governor asked for the money back - good move, but the GOP hasn't return one dime of the money that they received from Jay Odom.

PS - Is it true that even Bill McCollum took money from Odom?

[Is Glorioso even sorry?]

Is Rep. Glorioso sorry that he took all that money from Sansom and Odom?

Is Rep. Glorioso sorry that he voted to fund these projects?

Is Rep. Glorioso sorry he voted to make Sansom the Republican Speaker?

Is Rep. Glorioso going to return the contributions or is going going to be like Bill McCollum and keep the money?

[how 'bout them repiggies]

Odom and the rest of the well-heeled repiggie bunch seem to think that the state of Florida is theirs for the picking and plucking. In their minds, the rest of us are lucky that they condescend to allow the rest of us to live here.

[BAN THE REPIGGIES TROLL]

THE LITTLE REPIGGIES SWINE AIN'T WORTH RED SPIT!

[Michelle]

Glorioso is a arrogant, obnoxious, bully who admittedly takes a "handful of checks" in a questionable situation.

He's not honorable, he's a CROOK and an arrogant one at that.

He lied a bunch of times to folks during this last session and he was swinging with the wind.

He should quit and move on and terrorize someone else.

[Sarah Re-Read]

Sarah - Glorioso is one of the most honorable men in the legislature. Please reread the article. The check was BEFORE he was even elected and was in late 2004. Therefore your wild claim is not only false, it is hateful.

10:22 - Glorioso was a Domino vote, not a Sansom vote. Sorry to disappoint you.

5:35 - Lied? Please give facts as Glorioso is straight forward and tells it like it is.

[Extremists love Glorioso!!!]

"Sarah, do you have any proof? if not shut up. Chair Glorioso is a fair person, who is not a crook and does well to represent the people who have voted for him. And before you accuse me of being a staffer for him, I have worked AGAINST Chair Glorioso on many issues.

Posted by: Better than you | June 26, 2009 at 08:33 PM"
Billy O is that you? Mr Limbaugh maybe? How about Coulter the troop hater?The post does pretty good in itself portraying the mindset of the average extremist fringe in the party BUT the name,,,PERFECT!!!
Of course you think you are better,that's what everyone means when they call your kind arrogant!!!
And shut up,that's perfect also.I'll bet you are just seething that you cant control thought's and what people say just like any of the extremists in media do,like Billy O when he yells shut up,or turns off a mic,right down to local extremists on the radio when it seems its always the well spoken liberal or anyone with a dissenting point of view that gets cut off,hung up on or yelled over then cut off,yes indeed a perfect example of an extremists attitude!
This guy get hands full of checks and doesn't know who they come from?
Come on,even you extremists know this doesn't pass the smell test,that's why the angry "SHUT UP",There is no defense of accepting hands full of checks with out knowing who and why.
I fully expect violent posts in return for this rebuttal,after all he did say SHUT UP!!!

[Has Glorioso returned the money]

Just wondering if Bill McCollum or Rich Glorioso returned the money that they recieved from Jay Odom yet?

Didn't think so.

But, they are both honorable men - at least according to Ray Sansom and Jay Odom.

[Thibault]

I suggest State Attorney Willie Meggs check out
Universal Magic Incorporated.
Representative Glorioso and a man named Lemott Atkins "share" the same Miami address. A lovely Venetian Condo overlooking the Venetian Causeway, in the exclusive Miami Performing Arts District.
According to the Dade County Clerk of the Courts Unit No. TS-J is unit 35J
ATKINS, LEMOTT
555 NE 15TH ST 35J
MIAMI FL 33132
Annual Reports
Report Year Filed Date
2004 04/12/2004

And, Representative Glorioso apparently worked out some kind of deal for the luxurious condo because I can't find a record of a second mortgage anywhere.

What purpose does hiding a corporation serve if the corporation is indeed legtimate?

[Paul D. Harvill]

Sorry, but a recusal is in the best interests of the people of Florida, the House, and Rep. Glorioso.

[Gator(R)]

$500 campaign check 5 years ago? If anyone can be bought for as little as that, then why don't we all own a Legislator. This is lame point by the Democrats.

I can't imagine any Republican is fighting to get on that committee, or would be displeased if they were recused.

Too bad Sansom doesn't have a day job. If he had resigned from the House months ago, may have stopped may have prevented much of this train wreck.

Interesting that initially I thought this was going to die down, business as usual, nothing to see here, sort of thing. Particularly providing funding for a job that will be conveniently created when one leaves the Legislature.

But kudos to St. Pete Times (who normally pisses me off) for keeping the pressure on. Hopefully, seeing such a rapid fall from grace for Sansom, will help deter this sort of thing.

[Thibault's Facts Are Wrong]

Thibault - I looked into what you posted. Your post is not only misleading, it is false.

According the the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser, Glorioso purchased this property back in the 90's. According to the Florida Division of Elections, Glorioso was not elected until November of 2004. Your dots do not even come close to connecting. This makes your claim just strange.

So what if Glorioso owns a property that he rents out and does not have a mortgage. Perhaps Glorioso is on the Dave Ramsey plan and is debt free. In this day and age not having a mortgage and being paid in full is a plus, not a minus.

The corporation you wrote of is not at all connected with Glorioso. You post is very misleading on this point and quite frankly a lie which is easily proved with a quick check of the Florida Division of Corporation records at www.sunbiz.org. A quick search will show anyone that this was a corporation that belonged to a LEMOTT ATKINS, not Rich Glorioso. According to state records, this corp was closed a few years back. The fact is Glorioso's name is not listed anywhere on the legal paperwork. I double check and it is clear, Glorioso's name is not mentioned once on any paperwork every filed for that corp. Most likely this Atkins guy probably rented the place from Glorioso and Atkins probably had a home office. A renter having a home office has nothing to do with the landlord. This is between the renter, Florida Division of Corporations and the IRS if a home office deduction is taken.

You have obviously done some research; however, you have made a mistake or are trying to spread misinformation for some reason. But don't worry, I will follow up behind you, check your facts and let you and the public know when you are wrong or just flat out lying.