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Sink says she didn't abuse use of state aircraft

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The Associated Press

Published: July 10, 2009

TALLAHASSEE - Florida's chief financial officer wants a state agency to clarify the rules for how Cabinet members may use the state plane for trips that begin or end outside of Tallahassee.

CFO Alex Sink and Attorney General Bill McCollum, who could face off in Florida's 2010 governor's race, have been criticized in recent weeks for abusing their use of state aircraft.

Both deny the accusations.

Sink said Friday that an investigation by her chief of staff, Jim Cassady, showed her flights were all made in connection with official business, although her gubernatorial campaign reimbursed the state $17,000 for trips when business overlapped with political events.

Sink entered the governor's race after incumbent Charlie Crist said he would not seek re-election, preferring to seek an open Senate seat created by the retirement of U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez.

Sink also paid for the travel costs of family members on a few occasions, but was criticized for going out of the way to pick up or dispatch them.

McCollum has never taken family members on state aircraft, but has been questioned about using it to get him to his central Florida home for weekends.

Lt. Gov Jeff Kottkamp has also reimbursed the state thousands of dollars for flying his wife and child on state planes, which were ferried on several occasions to deliver Kottkamp to or from his Fort Muyers home.

Sink, who also asked the Department of Management Services to publicly post flight logs involving Cabinet members, has not used one of Florida's two state planes in July.

The state budgets $2.6 million to provide six pilots on an 11-person Bureau of Aircraft Operations staff that maintains a business jet and a business turboprop available for use by state officials and employees for official business as authorized by agency heads.

The state sold a King Air 300 last November when it eliminated two pilot positions and one influential lawmaker would like to sell another.

Senate budget chairman JD Alexander, R-Lake Wales, said there is too much temptation to misuse the state aircraft.

"One plane is clearly more than adequate for the legitimate needs of the state," Alexander told The Associated Press last month after the criticism of Sink and McCollum had started.

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