By JAVIER MANJARRES

It took only minutes into his gubernatorial campaign announcement for the Charlie Crist to hypocritically denounce Governor Rick Scott as an elitist who flies “around Florida in a private jet to hold press conferences.”

 Crist said Scott’s economic policy – sure to be the centerpiece of Scott’s campaign – is “entirely focused on giving money away to big corporations” and “flying around Florida in a private jet to hold press conferences.”-Tribune

Hold the presses right there! It has been well documented that Crist, while governor of Florida, took an immense amount of private plane rides, both on official business to “hold press conferences” and for other things, as well as for political events subsidized by the state Republican Party.

In 2009, The Tampa Bay Times wrote a story highlighting Crist’s use of private jets that zipped him around the state. All governors, including Jeb Bush, need to fly around in private jets, its part of the job of governor the millions of Americans who call Florida home.

  Gov. Charlie Crist will not fully disclose details of his political travel on private jets owned by special interests and wealthy Republican Party donors.

In his two years in office, Crist has flown to events on planes belonging to Harry Sargeant, a Boca Raton businessman whose contracts to send fuel to troops in Iraq have been questioned by Congress; Dick Mandt of Tampa, a former publisher of shopper newspapers; and Daytona Beach home builder Mori Hosseini, among others. All are Republican Party fundraisers.

Taxpayers did not pay for those excursions. The owner donated the flight’s cost to the party or the party reimbursed the plane’s owner. TB Times (2009)

Rick Scott has been using his personal jet since his 2010 gubernatorial campaign, and has paid for every single trip he has made, including all official state business, Republican Party of Florida, campaign events, fundraisers, and personal trips.

But what about Charlie, did he personally pay for corporate jets to fly him to political events?

His office said Crist uses corporate jets to fly to political events and flies commercial at his own expense on personal trips, such as to his condominium in St. Petersburg.

Remember, back when Crist was governor, the likes of Harry Sargeant and others, paid for the private jets to these political events, and were later reimbursed by the state Republican Party, which was ran by Crist former friend, Jim Greer, who is better known to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, as Inmate No. C07705.

Greer is currently residing in a low-security prison after he struck a deal with prosecutors, when they busted for grand theft and money laundering. Crist claimed that he was not aware of Greer’s actions, even after Greer’s attorney accused Crist knowing and supporting  his client’s actions.

Related: Crist: Poster Child for Political Opportunism

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