Otto: Greer case another dark chapter in Florida politics

By STEVE OTTO | The Tampa Tribune
Published: February 13, 2013 Updated: February 13, 2013 - 12:00 AM

Like so much that passes for reality TV these days, the cast of characters was more interesting than the plot.

That's not easy to do when the previews for this season's blockbuster entertainment event promised everything from powerful young politicians to secret funds to that great teaser, a golf cart loaded with prostitutes puttering around in the Bahamas.

It's actually an old story ? in more ways than one ? of politics and greed, but then, we're getting redundant. It revolves around the man who was once deputy mayor of Oviedo, Jim Greer, who also ends up as a subplot in all of this.

* * * * *Oviedo is one of those small towns in Seminole County that's almost a bedroom community to Orlando. It's probably best known for the wild chickens that meander around the town's streets, although it currently is sharing its fame with Greer and University of Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel.

Anyhow, back in 2006 at the urging of then-Gov. Charlie Crist, Greer was named chairman of the Republican Party of Florida.

Cutting out a lot of smoke-filled rooms in the ensuing years, somewhere in there he allegedly put together something called Victory Strategies, which he in turn allegedly made a chunk of his personal fund.

Questions about excess spending among Republican leaders on the party's American Express cards raised more headlines. Party darling Marco Rubio's name popped up. There was that trip to the Bahamas nobody seems to want to talk about. In January 2010, Greer resigned. A few months later, he sued the party over his severance.

* * * * *Finally, in June 2010, Greer was arrested and charged on numerous counts of money laundering, theft and attempts to defraud.

All of that was supposed to come to a head this week with a trial that was expected to expose the names of what passes for Republican leadership. That includes Crist, who at last sighting was a Democrat.

People in my business lathered at the possibility of a long trial with political names standing up to say what they knew and even what they might have done.

Last Friday, before a TV political panel discussion I was supposed to appear on, the talk turned to whether Greer would accept a plea deal. I believe it was former Republican state Sen. Paula Dockery, one of the panelists, who wins the prize for saying she would bet on a plea.

The feeling I see out there is that Greer fell on his fork to save lots of people embarrassment, or worse.

My thinking is that it is way too late for that. I would bet most of the details of what allegedly happened at an all-male gathering in the Bahamas, not to mention who knew what, will find its way out of the ooze.

Ironically, the only guy who seems to be coming out Scott-free is the governor, who wasn't around. That doesn't mean much either, except that I got to write Scott-free about the governor.

What Greer's plea cannot salvage is one more blow at party politics in Florida, where it's clear that transparency and government in the sunshine are more ideas we would like to believe over the reality of good-old-boy networks and backroom deals.

Source: http://www2.tbo.com/news/opinion/2013/feb/13/memeto1-otto-greer-case-another-dark-chapter-in-fl-ar-632774/

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