Librarian files ethics complaint over Gallagher's stock trading

[DoYouEverWonder]

February 8, 2006

TALLAHASSEE - A Polk County school librarian has filed an ethics complaint against Florida Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher, triggering a state investigation into his investments that overlapped with his official duties.

Brenda Titus, 49, of Lakeland said Tuesday she filed the complaint with the Florida Ethics Commission after reading news reports of Gallagher's penchant for short-term stock trading.

The St. Petersburg Times disclosed Jan. 31 that the Republican gubernatorial candidate's federal tax returns show he traded insurance stocks while insurance commissioner. Gallagher, 62, also owned 1,000 shares in an energy company in 2004 when he voted in its favor as a Cabinet member.

"It just really annoys me that hardworking average Joes are called on the carpet for doing things that elected people get away with," Titus said. "If anyone else had done this they would have least been fired."

A spokesman for Gallagher's campaign declined comment.

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/02/08/State/Librarian_files_ethic.shtml

[Angry Girl]

1. Librarians rock!

Please support your local library!

[MountainLaurel]

2. A librarian after my own heart

Go, Brenda go!

[acmavm]

3. It's been librarians who have stood up to this administration and

refused to turn over lists of what the public has been checking out. They've done more to show resistance to this administration than most of our elected representatives.

[MountainLaurel]

4. That's one of the reasons

Why I went back to graduate school in 2002 to become a librarian.

[Mizmoon]

5. Some government official called all of us librarians "subversive"

I was very proud.


:patriot:

[trixie]

6. librarians very quietly try to stand up

We are in a day-to-day struggle to stop corruption at the city, state and federal level. We have restructured our policies to wipe out any record of our patrons and their circulation and internet usage.

Please support your local libraries.

[Canuckistanian]

7. Isn't this a violation of Sarbanes-Oxley as well?

As an insurance commissioner, wouldn't he have to disclose holding insurance stocks?