Rick Scott Delays Releasing Finances, Conflicts of Interest

On Tuesday, Rick Scott filed an extension with the Senate Ethics Committee to delay filing required federal forms to make his finances public and disclose his secret financial account — his latest effort to continue hiding his conflicts of interest and how he’s used his position as governor to enrich himself by $46 million. Scott has been planning his run for months, if not years, so there is no legitimate excuse for his continued secrecy. He has already waited more than two weeks after hiding his finances from the people of Florida for more than seven years as governor.

As reported by numerous outlets, Scott’s secret financial account, his so-called blind trust, violates federal disclosure rules for Senate candidates, and the Florida Democratic Party has launched this digital clock to track how long Scott has been in the race while hiding his finances. Scott’s financial scandals have also dominated the early days of his campaign: the campaign finance watchdog group End Citizens United has filed two FEC complaints detailing how he illegally coordinated with his Super PAC, he’s ignored questions on the campaign trail about disclosing his assets, and a recent report detailed how Scott awarded business with Florida’s pension system to investment firms that have contributed to his Super PAC. Scott is also facing an ongoing state lawsuit over his refusal to disclose his secret account.

From Florida Democratic Party spokesman Sebastian Kitchen: “Rick Scott could not make it any clearer — he doesn’t want the public to know how he’s used his position as governor to enrich himself at Floridians’ expense, so he’s trying to hide his conflicts of interest and financial entanglements as long as possible. Even as his self-serving politics cost Florida jobs, driven wages to the bottom of the nation and increased health care costs for middle-class families, Scott’s manipulated the system to make himself $46 million richer — and now he’s trying to cover it up.”

Tampa Bay Times: Another factor for Rick Scott to consider for Senate bid: Disclosing, managing his money. 2/9/2018

• “We will receive a much clearer answer on Rick Scott’s finances if, as widely expected, he runs for U.S. Senate, which has significantly tighter financial disclosure requirements than Florida.”
• “Assets in the name of First Lady Ann Scott, for instance, are not required to be disclosed under Florida’s blind trust law, but would be for a U.S. Senate candidate or senator. Likewise, Scott no longer would be allowed to use a longtime business associate and partner to manage his blind trust because the Senate requires a ‘completely independent’ trustee.”

Florida Politics: Scott “Offered Little in The Way Of Disclosure” When Asked About Blind Trust.” 4/18/2018

• “Florida Democrats have said the Republican Governor has offered ‘nothing but silence’ regarding ‘his own secret account … and how he has become $46 million wealthier while he is in office.’”
• “Scott broke that silence, but offered little in the way of disclosure.”

Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald: Court fight continues on Rick Scott’s blind trust. Tallahassee lawyer argues for disclosure. 4/6/2018

• “The lawyer who has sued Gov. Rick Scott alleging that he is violating state law by using his wife to shield his financial assets from public disclosure asked a court to throw out the governor’s appeal Friday, arguing that he should stop fighting the case because he will have to disclose his assets if he announces he is running for U.S. Senate on Monday.”

Capitol News Service: Democrats blast Gov. Scott on blind trust. 4/9/18

• “With Scott confirming a run for US Senate, Democrats are claiming the governor has hidden much of his wealth in a blind trust”
• “Now that Scott has announced he’s running for Senate, he has 30 days to disclose his wife’s finances.”

Learn more about Scott’s secret financial account at SelfServingScott.com.