Florida GOP releases 2,452 pages of American Express records

Wherever Gov. Charlie Crist went, former state Republican party chairman Jim Greer was almost always there, too: Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, New York, Washington, the Florida Keys and more.

And Greer didn't just travel alone, he usually brought a mini-entourage, including executive director Delmar Johnson and Jeremy Collins, Greer's "special assistant."

They traveled in style in top-tier hotels and dined in fancy restaurants. They were chauffeured in sedans and sometimes flew in private jets. It was a good lifestyle while it lasted, but then the complaints about spending reached a point where even Crist, who defended Greer until the day the chairman resigned in February, couldn't save the chairman's job.

And while Crist didn't have a party American Express card, it's clear others picked up his tab while he was dining and staying at the same places. That's what can be learned from 2,452 double-sided pages of credit card records released by the party Friday. The cards were held by 30 elected and party officials and their staff.

Greer and Johnson were obviously big spenders. Johnson charged more than $1 million on his card and converted his AmEx points into miles just before being fired from the party in January. Greer charged about $500,000 and also cashed in points for miles. He once charged $9,468 for hotel and limousine service on a two-day Washington trip.

Collins charged more than $100,000 on items ranging from 80 cents in postage to $1,769.08 for a three-night stay at a Key West resort. He regularly put cigars on his charge card and picked up room tabs and meals for other people.

Johnson spent a few thousand on Disney World tickets and $1,000 at a Tallahassee comedy club. Greer spent thousands on chauffeured sedan services and ate at some of the best restaurants around the country. He stayed at the Trump Tower, luxurious golf resorts, Ritz-Carltons, the Biltmore and other hotels where room charges sometimes topped $1,000 a night.

Debbie Bishop, who worked in the party's finance office, had charges that included $3,491.77 and $259.65 at the Seminole Cigar Factory in Lake Mary, $800 for clothes at Tommy Bahamas in Orlando and $197.04 at the Oak Ridge Gun Range.

While there was only a small glimpse at the spending of Greer's predecessor, Carole Jean Jordan, by comparison she was slumming it in chain hotels below $80 a night and feasting off Chick-Fil-A and Olive Garden.

Some officials under Greer's tenure were much more modest. Former Sen. Dan Webster's favorite meal choices were Moe's Southwest Grill, Qdoba Mexican Grill, Tropical Smoothie and the Mellow Mushroom pizza restaurant.

And at least on their personal statements, it doesn't appear Senate President Jeff Atwater, incoming Senate President Mike Haridopolos, former Senate President Ken Pruitt and others were living like kings off the party. Pruitt had a fondness for Marie Livingston's, a modestly priced Tallahassee steakhouse.

By comparison, Johnson had a penchant for luxurious hotels, including a two-night stay at the five-star Ellis Hotel in Atlanta for $1,751.45. On March 22, 2009, Johnson charged $492.18 for cigars in Orlando and five days later charged $13,354.03 for six separate charter flights in one day provided by Melbourne-based Baer Air.

Crist's assistant, Dane Eagle, stayed with his boss in hotels like the Miami Beach Loews, the Beverly Hills Hilton, and the Palm Beach Four Seasons.

And during a three-night stay at the Washington JW Marriott, he picked up the charges for at least two rooms at a price of $1,511 and $1,475, as well as a separate $531.81 charge at the hotel. Crist and his wife Carole were also there.

Eagle picked up the cost of airline tickets for Crist and to New York and Washington.

Crist said today that the party spending was excessive.

"I don't think you could not be concerned by what we've seen. But I think you'd sort of have to go point by point and see what it was used for and see what the return was," Crist said. When he was asked if people will blame him, he said, "I'm sure they will."

The party is conducting an audit of all spending under Greer after months of criticism of excessive spending. Greer resigned in February under pressure from top party donors and officials. State and federal investigators are looking into the party spending.

Crist, who hand-picked Greer to run the party, defended Greer through the day he resigned and only called for an investigation when some party statements were leaked, including Marco Rubio's, a former House Speaker who is the likely Republican nominee for U.S. Senate. Crist is challenging him as an independent candidate.

Rubio had several personal items charged to his party card, but he says he regularly paid American Express directly for nonparty expenses. His records show a lot of travel charges, but modest in comparison to Greer and Johnson.

He did spend $1,650 to fly his wife to the Republicans' national convention in 2008, $916.81 for a one-week car rental in Tallahassee and $1,456.87 for a stay at a Disney World resort.