APPARANTLY WE LOOKED OVER THIS ITEM THURSDAY

The St. Petersburg Times reported yesterday that prominent Miami-area real estate developer and prominent Republican fundraiser currently under investigation by a federal grand jury has ended his efforts on behalf of GOP gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist.

Sergio Pino wrote the Attorney General advising him that "it would be in your campaign's best interest" for him to end his fundraising support. Pino is being looked at for possible improprities surrounding a fishing trip to Cancun, Mexico, in which he took Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jose "Pepe" Diaz months before the BOCC approved a Pino development project.

Crist, the clear frontrunner in the GOP race against State Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher, said that Pino volunteered to end his efforts, adding that "it was the right thing to do".

The Times story also notes that Pino, a "Ranger" ($250,000+ raised) for President Bush's reelection campaign two years ago, may be looking at more hot water:

"In a separate matter, the Miami Daily Business Review reported last week that it had obtained corporate bank records showing that Pino's companies may have reimbursed $29,500 to 59 contributors to Gov. Jeb Bush's 2002 re-election campaign. It is a violation of Florida election laws for a person to make a donation in another person's name.

The DBR reports today that local police are investigating the possibly illegal reimbursements, but that Miami-Dade Police Detective Michael Holmes apparantly concerned that the state statute of limitations --- generally two to three years --- may have passed for any election law violations.

The story continues:

"He said that wouldn’t bar the Public Corruption Unit from investigating and issuing a report on its findings.

"The detectives also said they could use the revelations in the Daily Business Review to seek more current financial records of Pino’s firms to search for other possible election law violations that may not be beyond the statute of limitations."