High court strikes down Crist’s bid for grand jury
TALLAHASSEE — The Florida Supreme Court on Monday denied Gov. Charlie Crist’s request to impanel a statewide grand jury to investigate public corruption.
In a 6-1 decision, the court said the governor’s petition did not meet the minimum allegations required by statute and failed to specify general crimes. Justice Charles Canady, one of four Crist appointees on the court, was the lone dissenter.
The governor’s office filed an amended petition almost immediately.
Crist, who is leaving office after one term to seek the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, made his request Oct. 14, just two weeks after a top campaign contributor, Dr. Alan Mendelsohn of Hollywood, surrendered to the FBI on charges he ran a fraudulent multimillion-dollar fundraising and lobbying operation.
Three prominent politicians in Florida’s second-most populous county, Democrat-controlled Broward County, were arrested in September on federal corruption charges, accused of accepting thousands of dollars in cash from undercover FBI agents posing as businessmen seeking illegal favors.
Crist said he’s removed 30 public officials from office for wrongdoing during his three years as governor.
More Stories
Meet the Team
Oracle EditorProfile
USF gives it away in Memphis 34-33
At the half, a 14-point lead meant USF was on track to win its first conference game in over a calendar year. That energy was kept up even with under five minutes to go when the Bulls were up 33-20. Then USF watched as its lead went from comfortable, to slim, to nonexistent in the […]
Club teams missing competition, friendship due to COVID-19
Under normal circumstances, Grant Nolder, president of the USF flag football team would be preparing for the club’s biggest competition of the year, the Swamp Bowl. The annual tournament, hosted at UF, typically takes place during the fall semester and features some of the best club flag football teams in the country. Winners of the […]
Bulls battle with ECU in OT win
Coach Brian Gregory said Tuesday the Bulls didn’t play complete, 40-minute games in their two losses last week. It’s debatable if they did Wednesday night against East Carolina (11-18, 5-11) at the Yuengling Center, but it was more than enough to put up a 73-68 overtime win. “It’s funny. There were stretches where we played […]
First SG scholarship rewards student leaders
Student Government (SG) launched the first-of-its-kind, merit-based scholarship to students Nov. 5 on USF’s Tampa campus. As a part of Student Body President Britney Deas and Student Body Vice President Travis McCloskey’s platform, Bull S.H.I.F.T., — Success, Health, Innovation, Finance and Tradition — the SG’s Student Leadership Scholarship consists of two merit-based scholarships which will […]
On-campus Jabil institute sparks anticipation from students
A plan drafted on a bar napkin two years ago has now become the USF Jabil Innovation Institute, a multi-million dollar institute combining the College of Engineering and the Muma College of Business. Senior Vice President of Advancement and CEO of the USF Foundation Joel Momberg and Jabil CEO Mark Mondello jotted the idea down […]