Former Democratic Gov. Bob Graham would not address Bush's choices
directly, but said a governor not only needs to know his appointees
very well, but has to make sure there are checks in place to catch
potential problems.
"You need to have some systems in place to alert you if you have
someone that's going off the reservation," Graham said.
"You don't want to find out about an ethical mistake by reading it in
the newspaper. If you do, your management systems have failed."
From The Associated Press, 7/7/06:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FL_BUSH_BAD_HIRES_FLOL-?SITE=FLPET&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Prison scandal adds to list of ethics problems among Bush hires
By BRENDAN FARRINGTON
Associated Press Writer
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) --
Immediately after Gov. Jeb Bush took office in 1999, he announced a
code of ethics that he said would raise the state Capitol to a higher
standard.
It included a wide range of requirements of his employees.
No gifts worth more than $25 could be accepted and employees had to
take a course on ethics, among other things.
The expectations, though, haven't always been met, and perhaps the
worst breach of the standards he set came this week when former
corrections Secretary James Crosby was charged with taking kickbacks
from a company that sells snacks to prison visitors.
Crosby however isn't the first of Bush's appointments to face
questions on ethics, but rather the latest addition to a list of
agency heads who haven't made the best choices.
- In 1999, Department of Business and Professional Regulations
Secretary Cynthia Henderson said "I didn't use my best judgment" after
taking an Outback Steakhouse corporate jet to the Kentucky Derby. She
was in charge of regulating restaurants, among other businesses.
- In 2001, The head of the State Technology Office, Roy Cales,
resigned after he was arrested and charged with grand theft.
Authorities said he forged a letter to secure a $36,600 bank loan on
which he later defaulted. The original document, however, was missing
and a jury acquitted Cales.
- In 2003, investigators found former Lottery Secretary David Griffin
broke ethics codes by accepting gifts of food from companies doing
business with the department. Griffin had already left the position
before the investigation began.
- In 2004, Department of Children & Families Secretary Jerry Regier
resigned after an investigation showed he took favors from
contractors.
- In 2005, Bush fired Elder Affairs Secretary Terry White after a
sexual harassment allegations were made against him.
- In April, Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Guy
Tunnell resigned after accusations that he mishandled the
investigation into a death at a juvenile boot camp he created when he
served as Bay County sheriff. He was criticized for e-mails he
exchanged with the current sheriff about the investigation.
And while not illegal, two former department heads raised eyebrows
when they resigned to take jobs with companies they contracted with or
regulated.
Former State Technology Office head Kim Bahrami went to work for
BearingPoint, a company she awarded a controversial $126 million
contract.
Former Department of Environmental Protection Secretary David Struhs
took a job with International Paper Co.
As the department head, Struhs put together a government-financed
project designed largely to help bring the company's Pensacola area
mill into compliance with pollution standards it had been violating
for years.
_______________________________________________________
No surprise. Just the Bush family way of governing.
Harry
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