GOP-LEANING COPS UNION PILES ONTO MADDOX

The Florida Police Benevolent Association has filed charges with the Leon County Supervisor of Elections against Scott Maddox claiming felonious mismanagement of Leon County Democratic Party funds while he chaired the local organization until May.

According to the Tallahassee Democrat, the complaint deals with payment of a $10,500 fine to the Leon SOE office for late filing of required financial statements. The fine was paid with a cashiers' check on December 16, and the party filed a "waiver" of it's year end report on January 10 claiming no financial activity during the last quarter of 2004. The FPBA claims that as someone put the money into the party's account and used a check to pay the fine, the report is thus fraudulent and, thus, the fine should continue to add at the $500 a day rate...which would tally up to over $100,000 today.

Maddox headed the Leon County Democratic Executive Committee while he served as chair of the Florida Democratic Party. He resigned both positions in May as he was starting his gubernatorial campaign. Debbie Griffin-Bruton, who served as state party comptroller, also was the elected treasurer of the Leon DEC. She reportedly told former state executive director and now-Leon DEC chair Paige Carter-Smith that she wanted to speak to her attorney before discussing the matter.

Maddox's father founded the FPBA and headed it for three decades before he was forced out in 1994. The organization has in recent years supported Republican candidates for office, and last month endorsed Attorney General Charlie Crist's GOP candidacy for governor.