Jim Greer used to be the top Republican in Florida. Now he'll find himself at the bottom of the prison food chain.
The former Republican Party of Florida chair was sentenced to 18 months in prison today.
See also:
- Jim Greer: Racism and Dead Bodies Ahead
Greer pleaded guilty last month to charges of money laundering and theft. He created a shell company called Victory Strategies through which he siphoned off nearly $200,000 in party money for himself and an associate.
Greer became chairman of the RPOF in early 2007 as the handpicked choice of then-governor Charlie Crist. He was ousted in 2010, and arrested shortly after.
While serving as chairman he was most notable for being a giant prick. From the Tampa Bay Times:
He hung pictures of himself in the hallways of the party's offices in Tallahassee. He made people call him not Jim or even Mr. Greer but Chairman. He wanted his wife to be called the first lady of the Republican Party of Florida and he wanted to drink bourbon poured only from bottles with specially ordered labels: "Maker's Mark, Private Edition: James A. Greer." Records show he charged to the party trips on chartered jets and nights in five-star hotels and thousand-dollar dinners of the finest seafood and steak. He started Victory Strategies.During his tenure, Greer made national headlines for claiming that President Obama was trying to indoctrinate America's youth in the ways of socialism.
Greer has since turned on the party, claiming that racism runs deep with Republicans.
"There is an element of racism in the Republican Party," Greer told New Times earlier this year. "But there is also the political professional approach, which is: Minorities do not vote Republican. They say, 'We're not racist. We're doing our job. And our job is to win elections.'"
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