Florida GOP considers Crist’s possible role in party fundraising scandal

The Upshot

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist could be facing more fallout from his ties to a former state GOP chairman indicted in a party fundraising scandal.

Over the weekend, the Republican Party of Florida announced that an internal audit of spending by former chairman Jim Greer suggests that Crist, too, may have run up "hundreds of thousands" of dollars in inappropriate charges. Greer, a close associate of Crist's, was indicted earlier in June on charges that he and a former deputy, Delmar Johnson, laundered more than $100,000 from state party coffers. Greer has denied any wrongdoing.

But state GOP chairman John Thrasher tells the Miami Herald's Beth Reinhard and Adam C. Smith that the internal survey of expenditures indicates that Crist may have been the beneficiary of some of Greer's extravagant spending. Thrasher hinted the party may sue Crist to recover some of those funds. Yet Thrasher declined to release details of the audit or offer proof of his charges against Crist — prompting inevitable questions about whether politics is playing a role in the announcement.

Crist, who quit the GOP to run as an independent in April, is running neck and neck with Republican Marco Rubio in the state's open Senate race. The Florida governor told reporters this morning that he hasn't done anything wrong. "I don't even know what they are talking about," Crist said, per the Palm Beach Post's Dara Kam. "It's the typical political season stuff that we're going to see. I think it's sad and just indicates how partisanship gets in the way."

But Crist still faces significant danger from the scandal. Greer, who is scheduled to head to trial in mid-October just a few weeks before Election Day, was a close associate of Crist's until Greer resigned from his post in January. Crist has tried to distance himself from the GOP during his independent run, suggesting he's not a slave to either political party.

Any hint of Crist being involved in Greer's alleged scheme will almost certainly hurt the governor's standing with independents and moderate Democrats, whose support Crist is going to need in order to engineer a victory this November.

(Photo of Crist by J. Pat Carter/AP)