FL Senate President Jeff Atwater(R) to return tainted funds from indicted influence-peddler

[seafan]

Senate President Atwater to return tainted funds


FL Senate President, no less.


BY MARC CAPUTO AND STEVE BOUSQUET
Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau

March 16, 2009

TALLAHASSEE -- Florida Senate President Jeff Atwater said Monday that he would return a $5,000 political donation he received from a New York politician who is under indictment for alleged influence-peddling.

Former New York Senate Republican leader Joseph Bruno contributed the money Oct. 28 to Preserve the American Dream, Atwater's political committee. Two months ago, Bruno was indicted by federal prosecutors on eight felony counts of using his public office to enrich himself.

''I certainly would not have known that at the time,'' Atwater said of Bruno's legal troubles, which capped a three-year FBI investigation. ``I was unaware of that.''

Asked if he would return the money to Bruno, the North Palm Beach Republican quickly said, ``Sure, sure, sure, yeah, yeah.''

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n the past two years alone, the lawmaker-controlled funds received about $6 million and collectively spent a total of $210,500 in $500 contributions directly to candidates. More than $1 million, or five times as much money, was spent on consultants. A number of lawmakers used the money to pay for dinners and travel. Atwater said he did not do that.

''I wasn't using it for my own travel, lunches, was not giving dinners, was not giving it to candidates,'' Atwater said.

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Atwater said he had little communication with Bruno and had only met him once.

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Just more of the Florida Republican era of family values and personal responsibility.