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Rick’s Toxic Algae Crisis, Corruption Dominating FL Senate Race

Politico: “Scott’s wife gave loan to accountant at firm housing Scott’s blind trust”

Tampa Bay Times, Romano: “No one is more responsible than Scott” for toxic algae

Three new reports highlight Rick Scott’s self-serving politics:

Politico uncovered that Scott’s wife had a “direct financial tie” to an employee at the firm managing his supposed blind trust — the latest evidence that “actions he took as governor benefited his investments.”

Tampa Bay Times columnist John Romano wrote “no one is more responsible than Scott” for the toxic algae crisis consuming the state;

And the Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald detailed how Scott “gutted” Florida’s water quality monitoring network in the face of this killer algae.

From David Bergstein, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Spokesman: “From the toxic algae Scott’s policies have unleashed on Florida to the web of corruption he spun Tallahassee to make himself richer, every day of this campaign underscores why Floridians cannot trust Scott look out for anyone but himself in the Senate.”

Politico: Scott’s wife gave loan to accountant at firm housing Scott’s blind trust

August 7, 2018

Matt Dixon

  • The direct financial tie between Ann Scott and an employee at the firm that houses Scott’s blind trust raises further questions about its independence. Numerous media reports during Scott’s time in office noted that in 2013 he picked former business partner Alan Bazaar to serve as trustee for the blind trust
  • The full investment portfolio under Scott’s name led to criticism from political opponents that some actions he took as governor benefited his investments. For instance, legal actions taken by Scott’s administration would have helped investments in Atlanta municipal bonds Scott listed when his blind trust was opened in 2014. He also had investments in an energy firm selling land around a university Scott helped create, and his administration gave incentives to a medical device company that Scott was invested in.

Read more: Miami Herald: In disclosure Q and A, Scott campaign provides its own questions, then avoids some answers; Miami Herald: Rick Scott and family made $550M in one transaction. How ‘blind’ is his blind trust?; Florida Bulldog: Rick Scott paid $200,000 in tax incentives to company in which he had financial interest; Tampa Bay Times: Rick and Ann Scott had stake in shipping giant linked to Putin; GateHouse Media: Gov. Rick Scott profits from Hep C drug tied to state prisons, opioid crisis; Florida Politics: Rick Scott’s blind trust connected to controversial Chinese company ZTE; Orlando Sentinel: Gov. Rick Scott’s net worth soars 56 percent to $232 million, report shows; Tampa Bay Times, Ruth: Is Rick Scott’s blind trust that blind?; News Service of Florida: Rick Scott fights lawsuit demanding he disclose financial assets; Esquire: How ‘Blind’ Is Governor Rick Scott’s Blind Trust, Really?; Florida Bulldog: What did Gov. Rick Scott do with mysterious $120 million in cash?  

Tampa Bay Times, Romano: Romano: If you’re looking for a culprit, the slime stops here

August 7, 2018

John Romano

  • No one is more responsible than Scott. Oh, it’s true this is not the first time Florida has dealt with algae or red tide, but it is equally true Scott has done little to prevent this out-of-the-norm outbreak this summer. You could even argue his policies have encouraged it.

Tampa Bay Times/ Miami Herald: As bouts with killer algae rose, Florida gutted its water quality monitoring network

August 7, 2018

Jenny Staletovich

  • Over the last decade, as the state fought federal efforts to protect water, shrunk its own environmental and water-management agencies, and cut funding to an algae task force, monitoring for water quality has plummeted.

Read more: Gainesville Sun Editorial: Algae blooms are part of Scott’s legacy; Sun Sentinel Editorial: Gov. Scott’s spotty record on algae crises; Orlando Sentinel, Maxwell: Florida’s great green algae disaster — we asked for it … us and Rick Scott; Miami Herald, Santiago: Red tide and green water? Florida beaches have a problem, and its name is Rick Scott; TC Palm: Gov. Rick Scott wouldn’t commit to visiting Martin County to assess toxic algae bloom; Tampa Bay Times:Leaky septic tanks fuel algae blooms. Rick Scott OK’d repeal of law aimed to prevent that; Ocala Star Banner, Rogers: Rick Scott: Election-year environmentalist; Bay News 9: As Florida’s toxic algae bloom crisis grows, some point finger at Gov. Scott.

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