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Maddox blames bookkeeper for errors

Debbie Griffin-Bruton says she kept financial errors at the state and Leon County parties from the former Democratic chairman.

By ADAM C. SMITH
Published June 29, 2005

Former state Democratic chairman Scott Maddox blamed problems at the state party and a local party on a bookkeeper who concealed mistakes from him as she struggled to care for a husband with Alzheimer's disease.

"One person has made mistakes in a position of fiduciary responsibility and taken steps to cover her tracks," Maddox said of Debbie Griffin-Bruton, whom Maddox brought in to handle finances for the state party and the Leon County party. "If somebody conceals something from you, how would you find that?"

But as Maddox tried to put behind him the mounting controversies threatening his campaign for governor, key questions remained about a $10,500 fine the Leon County Democratic Party paid while he was its chairman. Among them:

--Where did the money for the fine come from? The chairman normally signs party checks, but the fine was paid with a cashier's check. That left no paper trail to anyone at the local party. A campaign report Maddox signed showed that the party spent no money during the period when the fine was paid.

--Why didn't Maddox know about the fine? Records show the local elections office sent both him and Griffin-Bruton letters saying the Leon Democratic Executive Committee owed $10,500 for late campaign finance reports. The report Griffin-Bruton delivered three weeks late to the county elections office shows the signatures of both her and Maddox.

It's a felony to knowingly certify false campaign finance reports.

"I had no knowledge at all. I did not know about this until we got the call from you," Maddox told the St. Petersburg Times by phone while campaigning in Jacksonville. He speculated that a stamp of his signature was used, though he was supposed to authorize any use of that stamp.

News of the problems at the Leon County party surfaced as Maddox, 37, already was under fire for oversight problems at the state party while he was chairman. Because of unpaid payroll and Social Security taxes in 2003, the IRS put liens of roughly $200,000 on the party's bank account.

Griffin-Bruton, 51, could not be reached for comment, but Maddox released a letter from her backing his contention that he knew nothing about the mistakes. She said her husband's Alzheimer's proved a major emotional and financial drain.

"Unfortunately, I believe the stress manifested itself in my inability to successfully perform my duties," her letter states. "I made several honest mistakes including the nonpayment of payroll taxes for the Florida Democratic Party; and the delinquency in filing reports and late fees for the Leon County DEC. Due to my embarrassment over my mistakes I was reticent to let anyone know of my failures. I regret that at no time did I inform you of my mistakes."

Griffin-Bruton and her husband are longtime friends of Maddox, and he said he bought their Tallahassee house when she prepared to sell it to help cover medical expenses. Maddox lets her live there rent free.

"Now, knowing more of the story of Debbie's actions and misrepresentations, I must accept responsibility for having placed my faith in a person who clearly did not live up to my high expectations," Maddox said in a prepared statement. He said not informing him about the problems denied him "the opportunity to correct and rectify them."

As early as today, the state Democratic Party may release the results of an investigation into the financial and bookkeeping problems at the state party. Maddox said he wants to review documents to get to the bottom of the local party problems.

Many political activists question how long Maddox's campaign can stay afloat amid so much controversy over his management. He faces U.S. Rep. Jim Davis of Tampa and state Sen. Rod Smith of Alachua in the Democratic primary, and many observers expected him to emerge as the front-runner.

"It's over for Scott. I just don't think he knows it's over yet," said John Morgan, an Orlando trial lawyer who is helping raise money for Smith in the Democratic primary and state Attorney General Charlie Crist in the Republican primary.

Maddox dismissed the suggestion that the controversy might prove fatal to his campaign. "It certainly hasn't helped," he said, "but we're trying to talk about issues that matter to Floridians."

[Last modified June 29, 2005, 04:45:32]