Lawmakers Receiving Secret Donations Under Loophole (Florida)

[Judi Lynn]

Newspapers: Lawmakers Receiving Secret Donations Under Loophole
The Associated Press
Published: Sep 28, 2003


TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Florida legislators struggle to find enough money to pay for the state's needs while secretly filling up their own campaign coffers by taking advantage of a loophole in a decades-old law, several newspapers reported Sunday.
Florida law lets state lawmakers legally collect as much as $500 per election from a single donor. But they can raise a lot more without disclosing the contributors through "committees of continuing existence," allowed under a law from the early 1970s.

The law does not require donors to report contributions to state officials, although some lawmakers have disclosed where the money came from. More than $2.8 million has flowed into lawmakers' committee accounts since 1999.

This fund-raising comes as lawmakers are criticized by some for the last legislative session, which required four special sessions to complete a budget and develop a medical malpractice plan while leaving the state's universities and public schools gasping for enough money to pay teachers and avoid enrollment freezes. (snip/...)

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/florida/MGABMGWH5LD.html

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. About that medical malpractice thingie.

Why did they go through so much trouble with tort reform when bad law can be undone? Are there pending lawsuits that are hoping to slide in during the open notch in the period the law does applies? If so, what are the names of the corporations that will benefit from this bad law?

[salin]

2. loophole apparently for the statehouse leadership = slushfund.

wonder how many other states have such a 'loophole'.

[realFedUp]

3. I think this is what Bustamente did in CA

there were funds being put into a pre-existing
account.
I imagine if it's happening in CA and Florida, it's
happening in a lot of states.