11-06-2008, 09:06 PM
Lobbyists donate millions to Florida legislators through special groups
By JOSH HAFENBRACK Sun-Sentinel
Sunday, October 12, 2008
TALLAHASSEE — On paper, Florida takes a tough stand when it comes to money in politics. No candidate may accept a contribution of more than $500. A gift ban bars lobbyists from buying officeholders so much as a cup of coffee.
But this campaign season, legislators increasingly are using a loophole in the law to raise millions in virtually unregulated, special-interest-fueled accounts. The money comes with few strings and no limits.
"I've characterized Florida election law as being like Swiss cheese, full of holes," said Ben Wilcox, executive director of Common Cause Florida.
He said these legislator-controlled committees are an avenue for moneyed interests to "game the system and curry political favor."
At issue are so-called committees of continuous existence, or CCEs, similar to national "527" groups. In Florida, these committees operate under vague, warm-and-fuzzy names, like Folks for Florida's Future, but they serve as vehicles for legislators to circumvent the $500 limit and raise vast sums.
They are allowed under state and federal elections law that let political parties and committees raise unlimited contributions known as soft money.
Such committees once were largely used by trade organizations, but today politicians from both parties are setting up accounts in record numbers. Almost half of the 160-member Legislature controls or has ties to at least one of these committees, as running for part-time seats has blossomed into a big-money undertaking.
Incumbent state senators have used committees to raise a collective $6.7 million from interests that lobby the Legislature, according to campaign finance records.
The House relaxed reporting requirements, so it's harder to get an exact figure.
The election season's leader in snagging soft money is South Florida's Jeff Atwater, who is in line to become Senate president. The Palm Beach Gardens Republican raised $868,000 through a committee named Preserve the American Dream, thanks to five-figure donations from sources ranging from Realtors and insurance interests to gambling outfits and car dealers.
Atwater's campaign adviser, Rick Wilson, noted that raising money through such committees is a bipartisan practice and legal.
"You will find that candidates of all parties and all persuasions will legally and appropriately use them," Wilson said. However, Atwater's Democratic rival, Linda Bird, a Broward Realtor, said Atwater is "beholden" to interest groups that dropped checks into his account.
"It is a little hypocritical that lobbyists aren't allowed to buy them lunch, but they give them unlimited funds," she said.
The prevalence of candidate-controlled political committees has mushroomed since the 2006 gift ban. The soft money is transparent, with candidates required to set up Web sites showing contributions and expenditures, but efforts to ban or regulate the money have died quietly in the Legislature.
"If you can't take a check from somebody and vote against them on a piece of legislation, you shouldn't be elected," said Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff, a Fort Lauderdale Republican who raised $144,000 through her committee, Creating Possibilities.
Legislators use their accounts for expenses such as airfare, hotel rooms and meals, as well as to pay political handlers. Another common use is to make donations to like-minded candidates or causes, which helps politicians move up the ladder at the Capitol.
Rep. Adam Hasner, R-Boca Raton, used his committee to spread campaign cash to 60 fellow Republicans within the past year — largesse that will help him retain his post of majority leader if he wins re-election in November. Atwater moved $100,000 into the state Republican Party's coffers.
In Sen. Dave Aronberg's race, the $301,000 he has raised through Citizens for Political Accountability flared up as a campaign issue. Republican operatives attacked Aronberg in a TV ad for using committee money to get a $1,500 membership to the Governors Club in Tallahassee. Aronberg said he joined to raise money for the committee.
The Greenacres Democrat said the committees should be "banned or strictly regulated," noting he sponsored a bill to do so.
"But I don't believe in unilateral disarmament," he added. "Everyone has to be on the same playing field. I have a competitive seat."
Josh Hafenbrack can be reached at jhafenbrack@SunSentinel.com or 850-224-6214
By JOSH HAFENBRACK Sun-Sentinel
Sunday, October 12, 2008
TALLAHASSEE — On paper, Florida takes a tough stand when it comes to money in politics. No candidate may accept a contribution of more than $500. A gift ban bars lobbyists from buying officeholders so much as a cup of coffee.
But this campaign season, legislators increasingly are using a loophole in the law to raise millions in virtually unregulated, special-interest-fueled accounts. The money comes with few strings and no limits.
"I've characterized Florida election law as being like Swiss cheese, full of holes," said Ben Wilcox, executive director of Common Cause Florida.
He said these legislator-controlled committees are an avenue for moneyed interests to "game the system and curry political favor."
At issue are so-called committees of continuous existence, or CCEs, similar to national "527" groups. In Florida, these committees operate under vague, warm-and-fuzzy names, like Folks for Florida's Future, but they serve as vehicles for legislators to circumvent the $500 limit and raise vast sums.
They are allowed under state and federal elections law that let political parties and committees raise unlimited contributions known as soft money.
Such committees once were largely used by trade organizations, but today politicians from both parties are setting up accounts in record numbers. Almost half of the 160-member Legislature controls or has ties to at least one of these committees, as running for part-time seats has blossomed into a big-money undertaking.
Incumbent state senators have used committees to raise a collective $6.7 million from interests that lobby the Legislature, according to campaign finance records.
The House relaxed reporting requirements, so it's harder to get an exact figure.
The election season's leader in snagging soft money is South Florida's Jeff Atwater, who is in line to become Senate president. The Palm Beach Gardens Republican raised $868,000 through a committee named Preserve the American Dream, thanks to five-figure donations from sources ranging from Realtors and insurance interests to gambling outfits and car dealers.
Atwater's campaign adviser, Rick Wilson, noted that raising money through such committees is a bipartisan practice and legal.
"You will find that candidates of all parties and all persuasions will legally and appropriately use them," Wilson said. However, Atwater's Democratic rival, Linda Bird, a Broward Realtor, said Atwater is "beholden" to interest groups that dropped checks into his account.
"It is a little hypocritical that lobbyists aren't allowed to buy them lunch, but they give them unlimited funds," she said.
The prevalence of candidate-controlled political committees has mushroomed since the 2006 gift ban. The soft money is transparent, with candidates required to set up Web sites showing contributions and expenditures, but efforts to ban or regulate the money have died quietly in the Legislature.
"If you can't take a check from somebody and vote against them on a piece of legislation, you shouldn't be elected," said Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff, a Fort Lauderdale Republican who raised $144,000 through her committee, Creating Possibilities.
Legislators use their accounts for expenses such as airfare, hotel rooms and meals, as well as to pay political handlers. Another common use is to make donations to like-minded candidates or causes, which helps politicians move up the ladder at the Capitol.
Rep. Adam Hasner, R-Boca Raton, used his committee to spread campaign cash to 60 fellow Republicans within the past year — largesse that will help him retain his post of majority leader if he wins re-election in November. Atwater moved $100,000 into the state Republican Party's coffers.
In Sen. Dave Aronberg's race, the $301,000 he has raised through Citizens for Political Accountability flared up as a campaign issue. Republican operatives attacked Aronberg in a TV ad for using committee money to get a $1,500 membership to the Governors Club in Tallahassee. Aronberg said he joined to raise money for the committee.
The Greenacres Democrat said the committees should be "banned or strictly regulated," noting he sponsored a bill to do so.
"But I don't believe in unilateral disarmament," he added. "Everyone has to be on the same playing field. I have a competitive seat."
Josh Hafenbrack can be reached at jhafenbrack@SunSentinel.com or 850-224-6214