House dismisses complaint against Saunders
by Dara Kam | March 19th, 2010House Rules Committee Chairman Bill Galvano dismissed a Tea Partier’s complaint against Democrat Ron Saunders on Wednesday.
James K. Barnes of Coral Springs alleged that Saunders, a veteran lawmaker from Key West, charged the state for travel money for trips to Tallahassee from his home in the Florida Keys while also filing for reimbursement for official and campaign work while in his Keys district.
Galvano ruled that the complaint had “numerous deficiencies” and found no evidence that Saunders broke a variety of House rules as Barnes alleged.
Saunders did not break House rules two years ago by soliciting campaign contributions during the legislative session, Galvano, R-Bradenton, decided. Saunders deposited several campaign checks on the first day of the 2008 session but that is permitted, Galvano wrote in a letter to Barnes.
Barnes also filed similar complaints with the state elections commission and ethics commission.
Although the Tea Partier filed the complaints against Saunders, Republicans have targeted Saunders, slated to become House Democratic Leader later this year, in his reelection bid in November.
Tags: Bill Galvano, House Democrats, Ron Saunders, Tea Party
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March 19th, 2010 at 8:54 am
Other than the fact that he doesn’t live in his district and hasn’t for years, I don’t see a problem.
March 19th, 2010 at 9:30 am
I’m real tired of people trying to use false and silly complaints like this to try to gin up bad press for campaigning agains people. Just go ahead and run a campaign on the issues if you don’t like what somebody stands for. And on the merits, Galvano got this right.
March 19th, 2010 at 11:09 am
The ethics complaint might have been deficient but no reason to believe this guy is NOT a crook like all the rest of them. Tallahassee is a long way from Key West you wonder if the voters are that stupid or if saunders just thinks he can get away with it.
March 19th, 2010 at 11:09 am
Dara, why do you have to identify Barnes as a Tea Partier? Does this make your crappy story more juicier for the slanted Post readers? Why not include a little about wondertan Crist trying to do the same thing to Rubio? I suppose that wouldn’t be proper protocol if you want to keep your job.
March 20th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
You can find copy of the complaints at http://www.SouthFloridaTeaParty.org We must stop the corruption in Tallahassee!