Posted on 04/15/2005 5:55:42 AM PDT by JesseHousman
TALLAHASSEE - State Sen. Mandy Dawson, who personally asked lobbyists to help pay for her trip to South Africa, was reprimanded today and stripped of one of her committee assignments by the Florida Senate.
The Senate agreed that Dawson, a Fort Lauderdale Democrat, broke state law when she sent out letters on official Senate stationery requesting lobbyists to send money to the state's Legislative Black Caucus. The caucus wound up paying $5,000 for both Dawson and for a male traveling companion to take a 10-day trip to South Africa in late January and early February.
Dawson broke two state laws and one of the Senate rules, the Senate said in its findings. The Senate concluded Dawson solicited a gift from a lobbyist and she accepted a gift in excess of $100, both of which are against state law. Dawson also broke a Senate rule which requires a senator to maintain the integrity of the office.
Senate President Tom Lee ordered an internal investigation into the trip after The Herald first reported that Dawson had sent out a letter to lobbyists asking for them to pay for her trip.
An internal investigation ordered by Lee showed that two lobbyists and a major fundraiser gave $5,000 to the state's Legislative Black Caucus to pay for Dawson's trip.
Dawson, who first held her head down as the charges were read against her today, agreed to waive her right to a hearing. Dawson then got up on the floor and apologized for embarrassing the Senate.
''Please know I hold sacred and respect the integrity of the Senate and its rules,'' she said.
Dawson's reprimand will be placed in the official Senate journal. She was also immediately removed from the Senate Ethics and Election Committee until November 2006.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2005 Herald.com and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.miami.com
Due to the district she "represents" there will be no cry for her ouster nor will there be any recall petitions circulated.
And 'who' was her male traveling companion? Could this have been offensive to her South Africa hosts?
Sticks and stones may break her bones but reprimands will never hurt her.
Great post......BUMP
Ping
She will be removed from the Ethics Committee until 2006!
I would appreciate your comments on this thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1384195/posts
Also please ping your FR friends to it.
Ooopsie.
Oh. Wait. This was a democrat. (No harm, no foul.)
And also on this thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1383873/posts
Congressman Billybob
Latest column, "Billybob's Speech for FR's March for Justice II"
Corrupted, no doubt, by Tom DeLay's bad example. /s
So, Mandy, we understand you have rocks in your head? Is that right?
So, if I want to go to Italy, what? I solicit the Sons of Italy for the dough? Va biene!
Hummmmmmmmmmmmmm I wonder what Rush will start his show with today??
It would have either been a human being or an electric appliance.
Dear Activist,
As many of you know, I'm going to take a little trip with my boyfriend to South Africa. Could I count on you to funnel your tax deductable donations through the black caccus to help me pay for this trip?
Thanks so much for your support and I'll be sure and vote for whatever you want in the future.
Love always,
Senator Mandy Dawson
I don't know about y'all, but I see a future Democrat US Congresswoman or US Senator from Florida [See Alcee Hastings].
I believe the appointments were, by and large, based on preference in the hope of attracting the minorities' votes---which stand a snowball's chance of ever delivering.
This staffing represents pandering in its purest form.
For English press one.
We are supposed to believe that by 2006, she will have learned the meaning of 'ethical behavior'?
what a crock.
''Please know I hold sacred and respect the integrity of the Senate and its rules,'' she said.
shameless and cynical crock!
I immediately thought the same thing.....I haven't seen/heard any mention of this story in the media other than here. Will anyone pick up on this?
Why bother? Federal Judge Alcee Hastings was impeached by the House of Representatives with only FOUR votes against impeachment. He was then tried by the Senate and removed from office. So what does he do next? Run for the House of Representatives himself, gets elected, then gets a leadership position in the Congressional Black Caucus!! It's hopeless.
Waiting for a quote from her saying this is a "political lynching".
You ought to try living in a town where the Mayor was once head of this areas NAACP. what fun.
LOLOL....oh what a tangled web we weave when we open a can of worms!
How many days will this be in the press?
I'm counting 12 for DeLay.
It is news in Florida. I read about it yesterday in the Sun-Sentinel.
More and More - Everyday!
This place smells like a Banana Republic!!
How about Dingy Harry.....Peloshi, and a few others to name a few. They throw stones but libs don't like it coming back at them. What a childish thing to do. Tax payers deserve the best considering how hard they work to pay those taxes. Blowing it away with this type of name calling in the Beltway, must stop...and the dump machine is done at the Ballot box. Democrats..your War Room is WAY off base.
So who is he and what was his purpose for going on this boondoggle?
I'm surprised the Florida Senate had the courage to vote these findings into the record. I expect a huge cry of racism and bigotry coming from the local poverty pimps.
JH, why are you interrupting the Tom Delay bashing with this stuff?
I'm sure they are a lovely couple & it probably wasn't that much money anyhow....
/s
Toy boy? (It could be worse. At least it was a male companion!)
Ahhhh. That is great.
Rush has certainly been doing his part.
We are struggling to get the Tennessee General Assembly to pass meaningful ethics legislation because the way it currently stands Tennessee legislators can accept "consulting fees" of ANY amount from companies doing buisness witht eh state. At least one 'Rat pol has taken at least $231,000 in the past two years alone.
The current solution being batted around is to make accepting "consulting fees" a Class C misdemeanor (right up there with speeding) and punishable by a $50 fine.
And lo and behold, she was reprimanded. That oughta teach her and all other lawbreakers who write laws.
Read about it in detail in all of the minor, dinky, small town, entering and leaving sign on the same post papers tomorrow.
You are bad!
Yup, if it was a republican, it would be all over the media and the democrats would already have a commitee formed to see the full extent and how Bush was involved.
![](http://radio.weblogs.com/0113064/images/2003/09/29/zippy.jpg")
She's one of those 21 Florida State Senators that voted NOT to save Terri Schindlers life. I heard her on Web-tv of Senate hearings, and she is still living pre-1862.
I see the resemblance. I do think, however, that Zippy probably understands the meaning of ethics.
Agreed!
This after an aide cautioned her not to solicit money. http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/11370690.htm
Some folks just think the rules only apply to others...and Mandy is just the tip of the ice berg.
This is so . . . . . . . . . . . . I can't say it in polite company.
The Florida Legislature will act NOW with this situation but they REFUSED to act on behalf of Terri Schindler-Schiavo????
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Politics as usual.
Black, female, Democrat. In other words, totally above the law.
It can't be true. A black democrat that doesn't obey the law?
How unusual is that?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.