The
former chairman of the Florida Republican Party, Jim Greer, is claiming
that other leaders of the state GOP strategized on ways that they could
suppress the votes
of black citizens. Today's revelation comes from Greer's deposition
in his lawsuit to be paid back salary from the state GOP.
Greer's
animosity was evident on almost every page of the deposition as he
described the inner workings of a party that has controlled Florida
since 1998. On voter suppression, Greer said he had just completed a
December 2009 meeting with party general counsel Jason Gonzalez,
political consultant Jim Rimes and Eric Eikenberg, Crist's chief of
staff, when questions arose about fundraising. "I was upset because the
political consultants and staff were talking about voter suppression and
keeping blacks from voting. It had been one of those days,'' he said.
Rimes said he recalls no discussion of suppressing votes at any meeting.
Eikenberg did not return phone calls.
Two months
ago Florida Gov. Rick Scott launched an attempt to purge the state's
voter rolls of alleged non-citizens, a move widely seen as a transparent
attack on the state's minorities. Scott is
now suing the federal government for thwarting that plan.
RELATED:
Two years ago Greer was arrested on charges of six felony charges of
embezzling campaign money. His trial date on those charges has just been
moved back
until November, "sparing Florida Republicans the embarrassment of
intense scrutiny of the party's inner-workings just weeks before Tampa
hosts the Republican National Convention."
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New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has endorsed marriage equality and says that he will vote for the bill about to be presented in the national parliament. 
