Foe says Crist uses office to campaign

TALLAHASSEE -- Jack Sobel was surprised to open a letter from Education Commissioner Charlie Crist this month.

"Congratulations! Having recently read in your local newspaper about the good news regarding your being named president of the Martin County Bar Association, I want to add my best wishes to the accolades you have been receiving," began Crist's letter, written on his education commissioner letterhead.

Sobel might have shrugged it off were he not a law partner of Tom Warner, one of Crist's opponents in the Sept. 10 Republican attorney general primary.

"I would question his purpose," Sobel said. "I can't imagine he did it because he was really proud of me."

Warner doesn't think so either and is accusing Crist of using his current state office to campaign for another one.

"I think the taxpayers ought to demand their money back from Charlie Crist," Warner said Thursday. "I think it is a gross misuse of the office to use the letterhead to promote yourself like that."

Crist disagreed, saying it was appropriate for him, as a member of the state Cabinet, to promote good citizenship.

"I think part of leadership is to recognize leadership around the state," Crist said.

When it comes to citizen outreach, Crist is a letter-writing machine. In response to a public records request for Crist's outgoing mail the past six months, his office provided about 2,000 letters. Most were to schools and to combat veterans who have received a diploma under a special state program.

But many letters went to congratulate people whose promotions in a variety of industries were reported on the business pages of their local paper: the executive chef of Caribbean Jack's in Daytona Beach, a broker associate in commercial real estate and lawyers making partner or associate.

Crist also recognized a law partner of state Sen. Buddy Dyer, an Orlando Democrat who also is running for attorney general.

"He comes in and says, "Hey, look I got a letter from Charlie Crist,' " Dyer said. "But he's going to vote for me."

Crist faces an ethics hearing next month, closed to the public, over accusations that he accepted a trip to Washington last year in violation of state law and that he staged a series of campaign events last year to coincide with trips on state business. Taxpayers picked up the tab for his travel on those trips.

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