CLOSING THE CREDIT CARD LOOPHOLE

The Florida Division of Elections ruled this week that the political parties must now report the details of how they use credit cards, thus closing a loophole allowing many thousands of dollars to remain hidden.

The New York Times Regional Newspaper Group had wrote earlier this year that the Florida Democratic Party and the Republican Party of Florida both used American Express to make over a million dollars put on their cards by party employees.

Critics had accused the parties of making purchases on the credit cards to avoid having to report expenditures they would have had to is the payment had been made with a check or cash. Both parties had claimed exemption because the law requiring "political committies" to file credit card statements did not apply to them because of their status as a "political party" is different.

In a letter this week, Division of Elections director Dawn Roberts wrote that the parties must begin filing itemized credit card statements electronically with the state by the end of the year so the public can use the Internet to see how the money is being spent.