Florida Governor Crist Asks for State Corruption Grand Jury
Palm Beach Post Staff Writers Oct 15, 2009
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Charlie Crist, citing a three-year spate of corruption arrests, has asked for a grand jury to investigate public corruption throughout the state.
Crist petitioned the Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday to empanel a grand jury that would start its focus on corruption in Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties and the judicial circuit that includes Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties.
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Governor is taking a lot of criticism for this : Tony Alfieri, director of the Center for Ethics and Public Service at the University of Miami law school, said the initiative was tainted by mixed motives. "he wants to create the impression of being tough on crime and a crime fighter. This enables him to take credit for what many might see as an empty gesture but one that might advance his ambitions."
Marty Rogol, a spokesman for the coalition, called the governor's push for a statewide grand jury panel "a little late.""We are well along the road to change," he said.
Governor Christ needs to hear from you and he needs to hear about the corruption and out of control probate courts in our state. Please contact him at once :
Office of Governor Charlie Crist
E mail him : Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com
State of FloridaThe Capitol
400 S. Monroe St.Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
Fax: (850) 487-0801
Citizen Services Hotline: (850) 488-4441
Executive Office of the Governor Switchboard: (850) 488-7146 Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time
1 comment:
From: jane@abusefreedom.com
AFTER FIVE YEARS PATIENCE HAS PAID OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I waited a long time to see this..
Victims blow the dust off all your documentation because the party starts now, Call your attorney's and tell them what has finally happened, It is time for the truth to come to the surface and don't let this slip under the rug..
Southwest Florida is part of the "base operating area" for a statewide grand jury that Gov. Charlie Crist on Wednesday asked the Florida Supreme Court to impanel for a corruption investigation .
Citing a "rash of crimes" involving public officials, Crist told the court that while the investigation "is not limited to any particular section of the state," five judicial circuits should be the operating area for the convenience of witnesses and law enforcement.
Those circuits are the 20th (Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties) along with the 11th, 15th, 16th and 17th circuits, all in the southern half of the state. Together, the circuits constitute Southeast and Southwest Florida plus the Keys.
The grand jury should investigate crimes including bribery, extortion, gambling, kidnapping, murder, racketeering, money laundering and bid tampering, Crist told the court.
Crist, a candidate for the U.S. Senate, was joined at a news conference by Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, the North Fort Myers resident who is running for attorney general; and Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey.
Shepherd, who also attended the brief news conference, said the inquiry might run 18 months.
"It's obvious to me that something is wrong with the system," Crist said. He added that he has removed 30 public officials from office - about one a month - since he has been governor.
Crist did not mention the cases of Broward County Commissioner Josephus Eggelletion, Broward school board member Beverly Gallagher or Alan Mendelsohn, an ophthalmologist who has been the focus of a federal indictment.
"A recent rash of crimes committed by public officials in South Florida has led to a crisis of confidence among those who have elected them to office," Crist said in a prepared statement. "Today, I have petitioned the Florida Supreme Court to impanel a grand jury to investigate these crimes, bring indictments and provide specific recommendations to address fundamental problems within the system that may be cultivating a culture of corruption."
Attorney General Bill McCollum, who is running for governor, issued a statement of support for the governor's petition to the high court.
>wide-ranging authority to investigate multi-jurisdictional crimes that cross county and judicial-circuit boundaries.
I have waited 5 years, Sent hundreds of letters, made hundreds of calls and patience has almost paid off...I can wait another 18 months as long as the Truth Be Told !
Marian B. Scirrotto
Founder : And Justice 4 all
"Committed to Change"
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