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Legislator's campaign fund transfers being investigated

TALLAHASSEE - State investigators plan to investigate money transfers from an Orlando legislator's campaign account to a defunct Miami business he owned.

State campaign finance records show that in October and November, state Sen. Gary Siplin's campaign made 10 payments totaling $75,500 to Success Campaigns, a business that lists the Democrat from Orlando as president.

However, Department of State records show the state dissolved the company in 1995 for failure to file an annual report.

Randy Means, director of investigations for the Orange-Osceola State Attorney's Office, said he would start a criminal investigation based on an Orlando television station's report that aired Monday.

Siplin wouldn't respond to several questions from the WFTV-Ch. 9 reporter, instead simply repeating some three dozen times, "I love you."

In recent years, Siplin has run into trouble over unpaid taxes and child support. He also owed Miami-Dade County taxpayers money on an $88,000 loan he took out in 1987. He borrowed the cash to open a hat shop through a county program to encourage minority businesses, but the shop failed.

Since then, he has made only sporadic payments as the debt swelled to almost $150,000 with interest. He has asked officials to forgive the loan.

Siplin's latest difficulty could have repercussions in Tallahassee.

"Matters relating to ethical conduct within the Senate are taken very seriously by this administration and we are looking into the matter," Senate President Tom Lee, R-Brandon, told the Associated Press on Tuesday.

Earlier this year, Lee censured state Sen. Mandy Dawson, D-Fort Lauderdale, for soliciting money from lobbyists to pay for an overseas trip for her and a friend.

[Last modified July 20, 2005, 00:56:12]