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Kottkamp plans high-tech police approach

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By CATHERINE DOLINSKI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 21, 2009

TALLAHASSEE - Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, the only high-profile Republican candidate for state attorney general, says he wants to use technology to transform "piecemeal" crime-fighting around Florida into an aggressive "statewide attack on crime."

Kottkamp filed papers on Monday to launch his campaign. His candidacy has been the subject of speculation for months, during which time Democratic state Sens. Dave Aronberg of Greenacres and Dan Gelber of Miami Beach have jumped into the race.

Kottkamp said he delayed his announcement partly to let Gov. Charlie Crist finish enacting and vetoing the legislation that passed last spring.

He has not, however, waited for a ruling from the Commission on Ethics on his use of state-owned aircraft. Kottkamp, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink and Attorney General Bill McCollum all face ethics complaints that allege they used state-owned aircraft for personal reasons. Each has denied wrongdoing.

The lieutenant governor said he does not expect the controversy to play a large role in the race because he expects to win his case. "I think, in the end, what'll be determined most likely is that I used the plane appropriately, especially in light of the rules and procedures that were in place at the time."

Low-profile LG

Kottkamp represented Fort Myers in the state House from 2000-2006, chairing Judiciary, Judiciary Appropriations and Governmental Operations committees. He sponsored an early version of what is now the state's "anti-murder" law concerning violent offenders who violate probation, and co-sponsored legislation to reenact the state's three-strikes law.

In 2006, he joined Gov. Charlie Crist's gubernatorial ticket and helped him court the more conservative wing of the GOP.

"By faith I'm a Christian," said Kottkamp, 48, who is married and has a 4-year-old son. "By politics, I lean conservative -- common-sense conservative."

He has helped to shepherd Crist's legislative agenda and oversees numerous entities, from the Children and Youth Cabinet to the board at embattled Space Florida. But he has kept a low profile compared to Crist, who is now running for U.S. Senate.

"I think our lieutenant governor filled the role he was supposed to fill," said Deborah Cox-Roush, chairwoman of the Hillsborough County Republican Party. "I think he'll be a charismatic candidate."

Kottkamp's schedule bulges with public appearances, though he rejected the suggestion that his role has been largely ceremonial.

He ticked off a list of highlights, from meeting with international leaders on trade to overseeing the state Office of Adoption. Crist and Kottkamp are expected to talk up the state's record-breaking improved adoption rate while traveling around Florida this week.

"It has been an extremely aggressive agenda as lieutenant governor," Kottkamp said. "While we haven't sought any headlines, we certainly have worked hard for the people of Florida."

Why AG?

It's unclear whether Kottkamp will have any major challengers in the primary. Several Republican lawmakers have considered but decided against it, and former House Speaker Marco Rubio has denied rumors he will abandon his U.S. Senate campaign for the attorney general's race

That leaves Orlando lawyer Will McBride and Holly Benson, head of the state Agency for Health Care Administration, as rumored possibilities. Monday, McBride said he had not made up his mind; Benson did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Asked why he is running, Kottkamp recalled a Fort Myers police officer who was killed in the line of duty.

"He was killed by a guy who was out on the street, who had appeared before a judge, had a warrant out for his arrest – but because the warrant was in another county, and the county courts don't have the software necessary to share that information, he was let go," Kottkamp said.

It's an example, he said, of the need for a better coordinated, technology-driven statewide attack on crime, something he wants to make a top priority.

"It shouldn't matter if you're from a rich county or a poor county," he said. "Everybody in Florida deserves the same level of justice and protection from crime."

Ethics and politics

It remains to be seen whether Kottkamp's campaign can overcome the accusations that he has improperly used state aircraft to commute from Fort Myers and transport family members.

Kottkamp says he sought prior approval from the Department of Management Services for his family to accompany him on state aircraft, but that DMS later reversed itself. He "immediately" asked to reimburse the state for his family's travel, but DMS did not provide an invoice or accept his payment of thousands of dollars until negative publicity surfaced, he says.

Democratic Party spokesman Eric Jotkoff said he has more questions about reports a state trooper drove Kottkamp to a birthday party for a lobbyist in Atlanta than about any plane ride. "He's diverted Florida Highway Patrol Resources, which should be dedicated to protecting our communities," Jotkoff said.

Gelber said he will not focus on the travel issue if he makes it to the general election. "The facts speak for themselves; there's a pending investigation," he said. "I'm going to be focusing on the differences between his record and my mine."

Gelber added: "I've known Jeff for a long time. I wish him luck -- just not too much."

Reporter William March contributed to this story. Catherine Dolinski can be reached at (850) 222-8382.

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