Orlando toll chairman used toll authority for political fundraising - former spokesman
Posted Fri, 2007-04-27 09:28
Allan Keen the former chairman of the Orlando Orange County (Toll) Expressway Authority (OOCEA) constantly used his position at the authority to raise election funds for Republican candidates. That was the thrust of testimony given to state investigators by Bryan Douglas, former marketing director and spokesman for OOCEA.
The testimony was reported in Orlando Sentinel Apr 26.
Keen, a local developer appointed by Gov Jeb Bush to the state toll agency is at the center of multiple corruption investigations. He stepped down from the toll chairmanship after investigators blew the lid off hush money payments of $107k to anti-toll activist Douglas Guetzloe, a notorious shakedown artist. The board of directors had known nothing of the Guetzloe payoff.
Douglas said that "political fundraising was what (the chairmanship) was always all about."
He told investigators that Keen lent on consultants to OOCEA to raise funds: "I think it would be hard to find a consultant at the expressway authority at one point that... wasn't involved in political fundraising."
The Authority's marketing and public relations firm Pecora & Blexrud and the authority's law firm Shutts & Bowen were most heavily involved. Said Douglas: "Keen was using consultants for fundraising, particularly Pecora..."
Douglas said he didn't want to know about the "those types of things" and felt embarrassed by Keen's behavior.
He also said there were instances when Keen contacted the toll authority and urged them to get people to attend political fundraisers to "bulk up the attendance."
Ron Pecora principal of the authority's marketing firm has been indicted on a bribery charge based on his gift to chairman Keen of $2,600 worth of Disney and Universal theme park tickets. Pecora revealed the transaction months earlier saying that Keen had demanded the tickets implying that the authority could use is influence to get them for free. The prosecutor however persuaded a grand jury they were a bribe by Pecora of Keen to get his support for a non-competed extension of his marketing contract.
The toll authority is suing Pecora for what it claims is fraudulent billing. Pecora calls the suit retaliation for his refusal to collaborate in a coverup of the Guetzloe payments.
Under the new chairman Orange County mayor Rich Crotty the authority is adopting new rules under which contracts will be opened to competition when they expire in place of negotiated extensions. Also the board in its public meetings will have to approve all contracts over $50k. The purchasing director will be responsible for those under $50k.
Of course a cynic would note that a large contract can always be broken up into many smaller ones with no change except for more paperwork.
TOLLROADSnews 2007-04-27
The testimony was reported in Orlando Sentinel Apr 26.Keen, a local developer appointed by Gov Jeb Bush to the state toll agency is at the center of multiple corruption investigations. He stepped down from the toll chairmanship after investigators blew the lid off hush money payments of $107k to anti-toll activist Douglas Guetzloe, a notorious shakedown artist. The board of directors had known nothing of the Guetzloe payoff.
Douglas said that "political fundraising was what (the chairmanship) was always all about."
He told investigators that Keen lent on consultants to OOCEA to raise funds: "I think it would be hard to find a consultant at the expressway authority at one point that... wasn't involved in political fundraising."
The Authority's marketing and public relations firm Pecora & Blexrud and the authority's law firm Shutts & Bowen were most heavily involved. Said Douglas: "Keen was using consultants for fundraising, particularly Pecora..."
Douglas said he didn't want to know about the "those types of things" and felt embarrassed by Keen's behavior.
He also said there were instances when Keen contacted the toll authority and urged them to get people to attend political fundraisers to "bulk up the attendance."
Ron Pecora principal of the authority's marketing firm has been indicted on a bribery charge based on his gift to chairman Keen of $2,600 worth of Disney and Universal theme park tickets. Pecora revealed the transaction months earlier saying that Keen had demanded the tickets implying that the authority could use is influence to get them for free. The prosecutor however persuaded a grand jury they were a bribe by Pecora of Keen to get his support for a non-competed extension of his marketing contract.The toll authority is suing Pecora for what it claims is fraudulent billing. Pecora calls the suit retaliation for his refusal to collaborate in a coverup of the Guetzloe payments.
Under the new chairman Orange County mayor Rich Crotty the authority is adopting new rules under which contracts will be opened to competition when they expire in place of negotiated extensions. Also the board in its public meetings will have to approve all contracts over $50k. The purchasing director will be responsible for those under $50k.
Of course a cynic would note that a large contract can always be broken up into many smaller ones with no change except for more paperwork.
TOLLROADSnews 2007-04-27