Two more complaints launched against Sink for flying

Republican activist Jose Blas Lorenzo has filed a second ethics complaint against Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, as well as a new complaint with the state Ethics Commission for her use of the state plane, after she used campaign cash to reimburse her office $17,000 last week for her travel.

The Herald/Times reported that Sink's campaign made the payment to her own agency for 20 airplane trips to different cities where she had state business -- and campaign events. Sink's aide said Tuesday they made the payment "because it's following the law." State law, however, is silent when it comes to a candidate who travels on official business and campaign events using commercial aircraft, but Sink repaid her agency for the cost of that travel as well.

Lorenzo's ethics complaint alleges that Sink violated state law because she failed to timely report her use of the state plane for campaign purposes in the first quarter of the year and "corruptly used her official position to secure a special privilege or benefit" when she used state planes to travel for official business in conjunction with campaign events. Sink's $17,022 check repaid the state for her travel over two reporting periods.

The elections complaint alleges she violated state election laws by waiting to reimburse the state for her "gift" of state plane use until the second quarter, when several of her events were scheduled in the first quarter and that gift exceeded the $500 campaign contribution limit. Download Alex Sink Elections Commission Complaint Download Alex Sink Ethics Commission Complaint

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Comments

[mojo fallin]

Sink is the perfect name for her campaign.

[Blue Dawg]

With all these ethical hits one has to ask whether Alex Sink will be a viable candidate in 2010. Where is Rod Smith when we need him?

[Another ethical dilemma]

How much longer do we have to put up with Alex Sink using the state plane as her private jet? Paying back the state is in face a gift and a ethical lapse in judgement.

[Adios Alex]

She must be beside herself. Those corporate values aren't being appreciated the way they were at sub-prime Bonk of America/Countrywide.

She needs to go. NOW

[Janet Wester]

Sink thinks she did the right thing and probably doesn't even realize how much more trouble she will get into. By repaying the state she is admiting she broke the law and used the plane for other than official business.

[:)]

At least she was doing state business when she diverted to Tampa to pick up her husband and kids.

McCullom... used the plane for transportation to and from home!

Let the ethics complaints fly. We will see who violate the rules of personal use of state resources.

[Breakin the law...breakin the law...]

Usually, it's not the crime, it's the cover-up.

This time it will be both.

Nice job Alex!

[five finger discount]

She got caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

[BMG]

LG Kottkamp was crucified over so much less than what Sink has done.

Kudos to the St. Pete Times for staying on this and breaking the story on CFO Sink using the state plane for political purposes and not paying for it until she got caught by the reporters.

[miles to go before she sleeps]

She's going to stay in the race and flight 'til the very end!

[bitch,bitch, bitch]

What is going on? All this crap during election clouds over anyone talking about issues! STOP IT ST. PETE TIMES!!!

[10 paid posters in a row]

LOL too funny,you are the only one that doesn't know how obvious your posts are done with your script in front of you.
I'll bet you don't even live in the state,I'll bet you are posting all this from extremist headquarters "the foundry" AKA The Heritage Foundation.
The out of stater's our over time on this.

[:(]

5:26 that's just great, you boys over at the Democrat Party and your wingnut friends like Quinnell just keep on throwing completely baseless accusations at McCollum while your candidate actually broke the real law and we'll see how that works out.

Out of touch and out of the race.

[BMG]

First Sink flies the state plane on the first leg of a vacation trip to her condo in the Bahamas violating section 287.17, Florida Statutes.

Then, on four separate occasions she sends the state plane to pick up and drop off her husband and son at their home in Tampa (with no state business in Tampa) another violation of 287.17.

She tries to cover it up with a sham investigation conducted by her own chief of staff Jim Cassidy, who takes no notes and creates no documents in his "investigation" and simply concludes his boss did nothing wrong.

Then she tries to cover up the fact that months ago she used the state plane for political trips and broke the law by not reimbursing the state for the political travel as required by section 106.15, Florida Statutes.

Now she has violated the gift ban by accepting the flights for non-state-business, not paying for them within 90 days as required by chapter 112, Florida Statutes, and not filing a gift disclosure form with the Ethics Commission.

She's broken virtually every law related to state travel.

[Tom]

With all the money that Bill McCollum and the GOP took from Jay Odom - do you really think you going to beat Sink with this silliness?

Any news on how much of the $1,000,000 has been returned?

I thought not.

[W. Meggs]

Hey 10 -

We're not reading from the script. We're reading from the draft indictment.

Whether you're worth $9 million or 9, you do the crime, you do the time. Misuse of public position, official misconduct. . .

[what matters]

i think sink could kick the crap out of mccoulun

[Seven Dwarfs]

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to jail she goes!

[izzy]

is it worse that she engages in illegal activities in the first place or that she surrounds herself with dozens of staffers who condone and cover up?

[This is old]

OK, someone please God call Rod and GET HIM IN THIS RACE TODAY!!!

[Truth]

I have a serious question.

Does anyone think if George Bush's chief of staff Karl Rove did an investigation of wrongdoing and cleared him would anyone believe it and wouldn't every editorial board be freaking out?

What if Eikenburg or LeMieux did a review of Crist?

Bradshaw or Stutler or Shanahan or Kaplan of Bush?

Hansen of Ray Sansom?

Am I the only one or is the cover-up and hypocrisy of the press just overwhelming?

[Worse?]

8:23 Actually, I don't think either is worse than the other. No matter, she will be run out of office in the end anyway.

[Transparency, hahaha]

Does she really have 18 people in her press shop?

[better than worse]

Rod??? He would run that stoopid helicopter ad again!

Jim Davis is still unemployed... why not give him another try?

[Fact]

Truth, you have spoken nothing but the truth.

[Fact]

Truth, you have spoken nothing but the truth.

[What?]

What? She has 18 people in her press shop? What in the world is that? I guess with all these legal and ethical problems she needs a huge press shop.

By the way, how many people are in the Governor's press shop.

[ALEX is the PIN for the Taxpayer ATM]

8:44, sink is going to ask her communications director to look into it.

expect a one-page defense of wasted tax dollars.

[Rod Smith for Governor!]

I think Rod Smith just told his people to get the helicopter fired up. Any more of this and he's running for Governor.

[run Paula run!]

The only person that could win this race is Paula Dockery. She would kick both their butts!

[Rod would make a good governor]

Rod is just a fantastic person.I would back him all the way.I would hate to see Sink sink but if something bad happens there is another waiting in the wings!

[Carl]

Arrests coming for Alex Sink?

[SEND SINK PACKING]

IF YOU WANT MORE ON SINK OTHER THAN HER FAMILY AIR TAXI SERVICE CHECK THESE OUT:

Can you say Bank Of America bailout? The bank owes American taxpayer's near $50 billion and the total could top $250 billion if all the toxic assets goes bad. Alex Sink was the top executive at BofA during much of these accumulation of toxic assets.

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And now Alex Sink wants to invest Florida's taxpayer's money in these risky toxic assets:

http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2009/03/sink-eyes-toxic-assets.html

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Alex Sink as Florida's C.F.O. allowed someone to embezzle millions from state coffers:

http://floridaeconomist.com/mid-eastern-fraudster-steals-millions-from-florida-tax-payers/

http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/criminal/article744991.ece



"Aides to Florida CFO resign"


http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local/story/Aides-to-Florida-CFO-resign/bwMWE-vlXUmgQLNS78ryBQ.cspx

ALEX SINK IS IN WAY OVER HER HEAD.

SHE HAS FAILED MISERABLY AS FLORIDA'S C.F.O.

IT'S TIME TO SEND HER PACKING./

[Tampa Dem]

Fellow Dems, as much as I don't want to admit it because she is from my back yard and I have really liked her or a long time, this is now officially over for Alex. We have to find a new, credible candidate.

[Wondering]

It seems like every day there is some new revelation of wrongdoing by our CFO.

Is it just me or does everyone else feel that way too?

[I'm sick]

This stuff just makes me sick. I supported Alex but I hope she gets everything she deserves for this crap. She is corrupt.

[concerned taxpayer]

Did anyone ever ask Crist for copies of his checks for use of private aircraft? What ever happened to that story?

[Realty Check]

It is early and these are just complaints, which may hold no water at all or could bring her down completely. The point is that we should all chill out and just wait to see what the investigation brings up.
The way the system is set up, I could walk down their and file several complaints on anyone, which would find its way into the news and blogs like these.......The complaints were filed by a "Republican activist", so lets just see what happens.

[Actual Reality Check]

8:04 First, you can't spell.

Second, these complaints don't look like they were filed by a "Republican Activist" to me. To me, it looks like they were filed by an Attorney with a PhD who has many years of experience in state government and is the former Deputy General Counsel at the Department of Management Services. Since DMS is the agency that oversees the state air pool, something tells me that he is a little more than qualified to talk about what is and isn't legal related to usage of the state plane.

Misdirection by political hacks won't work.

[Fellow Dems]

Fellow Dems,

If we don't think this line won't end up haunting Alex Sink for the remainder of her short political career, then we deserve what we get.

"...Sink violated state law because she failed to timely report her use of the state plane for campaign purposes in the first quarter of the year and 'corruptly used her official position to secure a special privilege or benefit'"

We need a new candidate TODAY!

[Yes]

746 the answer is no, it isnt just you. We all feel that way because, well, its true.

When was the last time a sitting statewide elected official in Florida was indicted?

[COVER UP!]

Hurry, hurry Alex, cover up some more!

Does anyone else really not envy the paper shredder in her office?

They are destroying documents like Enron over there!

[Vote Democrat - always]

Wow the posts are sure running against Alex Sink. Of course every single one is from the same "liar for hire" that pollutes this blog with his lies half truths and spin from the lunatic fringe. It's truly a shame that one small group of people has decided that the best way to win elections and spread their influence is to slander candidates of the opposing party. It's up to us to reject this attempt by the far right to ruin the candidates that actually have the best interests of Floridians at heart.

[...]

Has Sink explained why her campaign paid for airplane rides for her husband and son? Were they important to the events? Or is the campaign reimbursement for trips other than those for her family?

And I thought she hired some fancy political operatives in her press shop... sounds like they are two steps behind everyone else on these issues... where is the attempted damage control?

And isn't it funny that it was Sink that requested the data be placed online, therefore allowing any Joe or Jane to base a complaint on actual data that wasn't part of an article... Without the data - or someone willing to put in the records requests - all of these would be thrown out because they would have relied on a media story - which is prohibited...

[Fellow Repigs]

McCollum is a dishrag and doesn't stand a chance against Alex Sink in a fair election. Let's start a baseless witch hunt and then hype it to the max. That way we give him a chance and also distract attention away from the real crooks in our own party, namely Ray Sansom and his gang.

[Not sure]

905 Not sure her $17k check actually covered the illegal flights she took where she picked up or dropped off her son/husband.

If you look at the memo on Deslatte's blog yesterday, it shows the dates that she reimbursed for.

Doesnt look like she paid for the illegal flights yet.

[Your humble serpent, McToady]

To "Fellow Repigs" Good strategy! As you can see, I have already implemented it. Please remit $5 per post to:

McToady Norquista
Liars for Hire LLC
c/o: Limbaugh Holdings INC.
Palm Beach Celebrity Rehab Center
West Palm Beach, Florida 99040

[Getover Itt]

Guess what folks? While insiders and party hacks argue over who's is biggest, voters are confused over the whole thing.
They know Kottkamp did it, they know Sink did it, and along the way they hear about McCollum.
But the details don't register. And with three involved, both Rs and Ds, they all cancel out the impact. It's a wash.

[Get under it]

10:38 - real people understand that she broke the law, they may not be able to quote the statute but they know she broke the law

[Not over it!]

10:38 Did I miss something? Didn't Sink, Kottkamp, McCollum, and a whole bunch more Republicans including Jeb Bush do exactly the same thing? At least Sink posted her records and paid the money back, as the law stipulates. What about the others?