Former Florida GOP Chairman Arrested

This has been expected for some time, but former Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer has been arrested on felony charges of theft and money laundering. Greer's tenure as RPOF chairman was marked by excessive and questionable spending on party accounts, including its American Express credit cards, but the charges he's facing have to do with a firm he co-owned, Victory Strategies, LLC, to which he directed money as chairman of the party. Greer allegedly concealed his ownership of the firm to the party. Spending under Greer's tenure had become a massive scandal in Florida politics, and Greer was run out of office last year. Florida Republicans familiar with spending records made public to committee members have described the situation as an utter mess, with culpability and questionable expenses not limited strictly to Greer and former RPOF Executive Director Delmar Johnson, who co-owned Victory Strategies with Greer.

Greer had been a close ally of Gov. Charlie Crist, and his opponents in Florida have used that relationship to attack the governor as he runs for Senate. Hotline OnCall's Reid Wilson reports that law enforcement officials wouldn't say whether Crist has been interviewed in the probe of Greer.