Cash flies in GOP race for Florida governor

TALLAHASSEE -- As Rick Scott freely spends his fortune in his bid to become governor, Republican rival Bill McCollum is fighting to keep up by spending the millions of others.

McCollum's allies make up a long list: Big Sugar, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Progess Energy, real-estate developers, road builders, beer distributors, car dealers, nursing homes and wealthy individuals like Fort Lauderdale entrepreneur H. Wayne Huizenga and Dallas philanthropist Peter O'Donnell.

All have written hefty five- and six-figure checks to a pair of political committees controlled by McCollum, the state attorney general, as Scott and McCollum battle for the nomination in next Tuesday's primary.

McCollum's two groups, Florida First Initiative and Sunshine State Freedom Fund, have raked in a combined $4.1 million to help fund a barrage of McCollum TV ads attacking Scott for his role in leading the Columbia/HCA hospital conglomerate, which was hit with record Medicare-fraud fines. McCollum, who has criticized Scott for trying to ``buy the governor's mansion,'' said he's not selling out in taking special-interest money.

``If people want to contribute to me, generally speaking, I don't care who they are unless they have an unsavory background,'' McCollum said. ``They can give to this campaign. They can give to me if they believe in my cause. That doesn't mean I believe in theirs.''

McCollum said he's not sure, for instance, whether he supports a major buyout of U.S. Sugar lands in the name of Everglades restoration. U.S. Sugar has spent more than $1.1 million to help McCollum.

``Our company has stepped up pretty significantly with Bill McCollum. But that's not unusual,'' said U.S. Sugar Corp. vice president and lobbyist Bob Coker. ``We don't sit down and say, `We've given you $49, therefore, we expect blah blah blah.' That's not our game. We expect someone who's going to be fair and who will allow us to espouse our views.''

Coker said he has known McCollum for decades and has respected the candidate's work ethic and principled approach to issues. He acknowledged U.S. Sugar contributed to a secretive political committee, The League of American Voters, which does not have to disclose its donors under federal tax law because it is a 501(c)4 nonprofit activist group. The league has contributed $550,000 to one of McCollum's committees.

Scott's campaign issued a statement demanding that the league disclose its donors.

McCollum said he ``didn't have knowledge'' of the league and that he ``didn't have any contact'' with its members. So he won't call on the group to disclose its donors.

Other large chunks of the McCollum money are tough to track because they were diverted through other committees controlled by two influential state legislators who support McCollum: Rep. Dean Cannon, a Winter Park Republican and incoming House speaker who gave $975,000, and Sen. Mike Haridopolos, an Indialantic Republican who gave more than $608,000.

Before contributing to McCollum, the committees of Haridopolos and Cannon received large sums of special-interest cash from developers, insurance companies and the health industry, all of whom dominate the agenda in the Legislature.

Scott's free-spending ways -- $34 million at last count -- make this primary far and away the most expensive election in Florida history.

McCollum has repeatedly accused Scott of trying to buy the governor's mansion. Scott calls McCollum a career politician who's tainted by special-interest contributions.

Candidates for office in Florida cannot receive more than $500 from each donor in a primary and a general election. But a quirk in the election code allows a candidate to create an electioneering group that can raise and spend unlimited sums, as long as they do not expressly call for the election or defeat of a candidate.

McCollum also gets money from taxpayers by participating in the state's public campaign-financing program.

Whoever wins next week will face Democrat Alex Sink, the state's chief financial officer. She has raised $7.4 million, much from bankers, lawyers and insurers. Like McCollum, Scott has an electioneering committee in addition to his campaign but funds most of it himself. Sink doesn't have one yet.

Steve Bousquet can be reached at bousquet@ sptimes.com or (850) 224-7263.

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