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Former Graham consultant files new ethics complaint
By LUCY MORGAN, Times Tallahassee Bureau Chief
© St. Petersburg Times TALLAHASSEE -- In a bid to get a tax deduction for supporters, U.S. Sen. Bob Graham solicited money for a nonprofit group in return for help in his campaign to restore a statewide university governance system. A fundraising consultant fired by the campaign has accused Graham of violating federal and state laws in a complaint with the U.S. Senate Committee on Ethics and with Florida elections officials. Robert Kaplan filed the complaint late last week. It is Kaplan's second complaint against Graham. Kaplan's first complaint, filed in June, accused Graham of using his Senate staff to kick-start the drive to resurrect a statewide university board. The Ethics Committee quickly dismissed the complaint after a letter of explanation from Graham. "I think his second complaint will meet the same fate," said Paul Anderson, Graham's press secretary. Anderson would not release a copy of Graham's response to the committee or discuss the merits of the new complaint. Kaplan based his latest complaint on e-mails he obtained from the campaign. Robin Gibson, Graham's longtime attorney and campaign treasurer, sent the e-mails to other Senate staffers suggesting they could help Graham's effort by sending tax-deductible donations to the nonprofit Initiative and Referendum Institute of Washington. For every $10,000 donation, Progressive Campaigns, the company hired to collect signatures to get the university initiative on the Nov. 5 ballot, would give Graham's campaign a $6,000 discount. Political contributions are not tax deductible. Gibson said the arrangement was legal because no money passed between the two organizations. Angelo Paparella operates Progressive Campaigns out of Santa Monica, Calif. He did not return a telephone call Tuesday. Paparella is a member of the board of the Initiative and Referendum Institute and saw the arrangement as a way to benefit the nonprofit group, Gibson said Tuesday. "He is not getting the money, and we don't get a dime of it," Gibson said. Graham's campaign has paid Progressive more than $170,000. Graham sought the arrangement because some people wanted to support the effort but had to give a tax-deductible contribution, Gibson said. The institute promotes the citizen initiative process and attempts to spread it to states in which ballot amendments are not available. Kaplan obtained the internal e-mails in connection with a lawsuit he has filed against Graham's committee alleging breach of contract. "Please see that this gets to the senator," Gibson wrote. "He needs it as part of his arsenal when talking to folks" about the campaign. One of the memos was written to thank environmentalist Nat Reed for a $1,000 contribution to the campaign committee. Joan Ruffier of Orlando, who is chairwoman of the Graham political action committee, said in a letter to Reed's trust administrator in North Palm Beach that she was endorsing the check to the nonprofit organization so his gift would be "fully deductible and still benefit our cause." In a Jan. 13, 2002, e-mail, Ruffier told Graham's Senate staff and others that Reed's trust could only make tax-deductible contributions. Graham's committee reports receiving and spending about $1-million during the past year, including $465,740 in the quarter ending June 30. The senator wants voters to amend the state Constitution to create a 17-member board of governors to oversee Florida universities. He would retain 11 university boards appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush after legislators abolished the Board of Regents. Kaplan said the contributions violate state elections law and hide the names of those who help the Graham committee.
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From the Times state desk
From the state wire
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