Dems, GOP Must Detail Credit Card Spending

[Judi Lynn]

Published Thursday, October 27, 2005

Dems, GOP Must Detail Credit Card Spending

By Joe Follick
Ledger Tallahassee Bureau

TALLAHASSEE -- The state's Democratic and Republican parties must reveal the details of how they use credit cards, the head of the Florida Division of Elections said this week.

That move will close a loophole that allowed hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses to go hidden.

Despite requirements that each party details how each dime is spent when checks or cash are used -- including the date, who was paid and the intent of the payment -- both the Florida Democratic Party and the Republican Party of Florida have declined to detail expenses when credit cards are used.

A New York Times Regional Newspaper Group story earlier this year showed that in 2003 and 2004, the two parties paid American Express more than $1 million for expenditures that party employees put on their credit cards.

Critics said that not revealing credit card statements to the public allowed parties to avoid reporting what they would have to if checks or cash were used.
(snip/...)

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051027/NEWS/510270392/1004

[aquart]

1. Ah, the sneakiness of the human mind.

[cornermouse]

2. That's a good first step.

A good second step would be to chop off all their little position related freebies.

The logical third step would be to halve their salaries.

[RC]

3. Logical fourth step

Some serous jail time for law breaking.
Honest politician? Whadat?

[zbdent]

4. Wonder how many Repuke purchases were at

"adult toy stores" . . .