QUOTE
Originally published October 7, 2006
Stealth group gives GOP largest check of year
By Aaron Deslatte
FLORIDA CAPITAL BUREAU
Floridians for Truth and Integrity in Government, the stealth group that raised millions of dollars to blow Republican Tom Gallagher out of the gubernatorial primary, has cut state Republicans their biggest check of the year.
Known as an electioneering communications organization, the soft-money group whose biggest contributors included U.S. Sugar Corp., TECO Energy and Cape Coral developer Greg Eagle gave $1.1 million to the state Republican Party on Sept. 22, records show.
The largest single check the state party had previously received was $1 million from the Republican Governors Association on Sept. 6.
"We've gotten donations from thousands of groups across Florida, and we're enthusiastic about the support there has been for the party," GOP spokesman Jeff Sadosky said.
Truth and Integrity raised more than $3.1 million this year, making it the largest electioneering organization created to influence elections, and spent much of that on TV ads designed to help Republican Charlie Crist in the race by trashing Gallagher.
In the last days of the primary, the group launched a TV ad that said he was "under investigation" for his stock trading and ended saying, "With a long history of poor judgement and ethical lapses, how can we ever trust Tom Gallagher again?"
Now that money will go to work helping elect other Republicans.
U.S. Sugar Corp., which spent millions of dollars to blast Democrat Jim Davis in the primary, and Florida Crystals collectively gave the committee $500,000 in six separate disbursements on Aug. 31.
TECO Energy gave the group $100,000, while PPI Inc., a property of Isle of Capri Casinos Inc., also gave $100,000.
Eagle, whose son Dane works as Crist's travel aide, gave $750,000 to the group through a separate stealth fund.
Stealth group gives GOP largest check of year
By Aaron Deslatte
FLORIDA CAPITAL BUREAU
Floridians for Truth and Integrity in Government, the stealth group that raised millions of dollars to blow Republican Tom Gallagher out of the gubernatorial primary, has cut state Republicans their biggest check of the year.
Known as an electioneering communications organization, the soft-money group whose biggest contributors included U.S. Sugar Corp., TECO Energy and Cape Coral developer Greg Eagle gave $1.1 million to the state Republican Party on Sept. 22, records show.
The largest single check the state party had previously received was $1 million from the Republican Governors Association on Sept. 6.
"We've gotten donations from thousands of groups across Florida, and we're enthusiastic about the support there has been for the party," GOP spokesman Jeff Sadosky said.
Truth and Integrity raised more than $3.1 million this year, making it the largest electioneering organization created to influence elections, and spent much of that on TV ads designed to help Republican Charlie Crist in the race by trashing Gallagher.
In the last days of the primary, the group launched a TV ad that said he was "under investigation" for his stock trading and ended saying, "With a long history of poor judgement and ethical lapses, how can we ever trust Tom Gallagher again?"
Now that money will go to work helping elect other Republicans.
U.S. Sugar Corp., which spent millions of dollars to blast Democrat Jim Davis in the primary, and Florida Crystals collectively gave the committee $500,000 in six separate disbursements on Aug. 31.
TECO Energy gave the group $100,000, while PPI Inc., a property of Isle of Capri Casinos Inc., also gave $100,000.
Eagle, whose son Dane works as Crist's travel aide, gave $750,000 to the group through a separate stealth fund.