Tag: Ben Wilcox
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DeSantis ends 50 years of ethics oversight by hobbling state and local investigators
By Noreen Marcus
FloridaBulldog.org
The late Gov. Reubin Askew, who helped fashion the Sunshine Law and ethics rules for state government, recalled in an oral history that when Florida politicians saw this major reform brewing in the mid-1960s, “it just scared them to death.” Now their successors have little to fear. -
Legislative ‘sprinkle’ adds extra half-million dollars to state senator’s nonprofit, quietly doubling state payout to Lauren’s Kids
By Francisco Alvarado
FloridaBulldog.org
In the waning days of the most recent Florida legislative session, it appeared the nonprofit agency founded and run by Plantation State Sen. Lauren Book would walk away with only half-a-million dollars in taxpayer funding after consecutive years of receiving seven-figure sums. Then came the April 30th meeting of the budget conference chairs. That’s when Lauren’s Kids got sprinkled. -
Lauren’s Kids racks up six-figure donations via auto tag registration renewals
By Francisco Alvarado
FloridaBulldog.org
In January, Broward County car owners who received their auto tag renewal notices also got a special message and sales pitch from Lauren’s Kids, the nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing child sex abuse and founded by freshman State Sen. Lauren Book. -
Ms. Book goes to Tallahassee, sees no conflict voting $ for Lauren’s Kids or dad’s clients
By Francisco Alvarado
FloridaBulldog.org
Freshman Broward State Sen. Lauren Book says she won’t abstain from voting on matters involving clients of her father, powerful lobbyist Ron Book. Similarly, she sees no conflict of interest in voting on measures to funnel millions of taxpayer dollars to benefit her non-profit charity and political launching pad, Lauren’s Kids. -
Trump money too hot to handle, but tainted donors back Miami-Dade mayor, opponent
By Francisco Alvarado
FloridaBulldog.org
As Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez gears up for a tough 2016 re-election battle against Miami-Dade School Board Member Raquel Regalado, the political organizations supporting the two candidates are taking money from donors with scandalous histories. -
Independent special districts: Where lobbyists ride free and the public is in the dark
By Dan Christensen
BrowardBulldog.org
Nearly 1,000 special-purpose governments across Florida that raise and spend billions of dollars in public funds every year do not require lobbyists who appear before them to register, pay fees or disclose any information about themselves or their clients.
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