Former Florida Republican Party Chair Jim Greer was arrested this morning and charged with grand theft, attempt to defraud, and money laundering the Orlando Sentinel reports.
Greer — a close ally of Gov. Charlie Crist — was reported to be under criminal investigation for a contract worth around $200,000 that he awarded to himself and the state party’s executive director. The Florida Republican Party revealed the news in March, saying it had uncovered the contract in the course of its annual financial audit, and referred the matter to authorities.
It’s not yet clear if that incident was the basis for Greer’s arrest. The Sentinel reports today:
Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents brought Greer, of Oviedo, to the Seminole County jail shortly before 10 a.m., a Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman confirmed.
State law enforcement officials will hold a press conference at 11:30 a.m. ET to “announce a major arrest.”
Greer was appointed by Crist in 2007 to run the Florida Republican Party, but was forced out of the job in January, after reports of lavish party spending, much of which went on the credit card of the party’s executive director, Delmar Johnson.
Full coverage from TPMmuckraker here.
(This post has been updated since it was published.)
