McBride is still facing finance inquiry (2002 Gov. election vs. Jeb Bush)

Posted on Fri, Nov. 26, 2004

POLITICS


McBride is still facing finance inquiry

Two years after he was defeated by Gov. Jeb Bush, Democrat Bill McBride still faces the prospect of paying millions in fines for allegedly violating a campaign finance law that has been changed.

BY GARY FINEOUT
gfineout@herald.com


Bill McBride, the seemingly improbable Democratic candidate for governor in 2002, has all but turned away from the public spotlight. He has gone back to a private law practice. His biggest civic position right now is that of booster club president for his son's high school football team.

But despite his retreat from politics, McBride is still suffering from the aftermath of his election loss to Gov. Jeb Bush. That's because McBride could wind up being fined millions of dollars for alleged campaign law violations.

It was in the middle of that campaign that the Republican Party of Florida charged that McBride was illegally aided by Florida's teachers union, which ran favorable television ads shortly before McBride defeated former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno in the Democratic primary.

Now, more than two years later, it still hasn't been resolved whether McBride or an arm of the teachers union broke the law. The source for the latest delay: Attorneys for the state Elections Commission are trying to get a judge to help them obtain more evidence to use against McBride, even though the initial investigation wrapped up more than a year ago.

In an ironic twist, the Florida Legislature overhauled the state's campaign finance law in the spring -- and what McBride stands accused of doing is no longer illegal.
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http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/10273836.htm
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