This is really rich.
Jeb Bush's
apprentice, Florida Speaker of the House Marco Rubio, is concerned enough about the recent Florida investment fund debacle, that he has gone out and hired outside consultants to investigate the shady dealings that resulted in the loss of billions from the state investment fund.
Among the *consultants* Rubio just hired are none other than
Tew-Cardenas, a law firm that employed Rubio in the mid 1990s. The firm's partners include Al Cardenas, former head of the Republican Party of Florida, who has ties to former Gov. Jeb Bush. And why is this questionable?
Because Jeb Bush is under investigation for his role at Lehman Brothers, as it sold $842 million in subprime mortgage-backed debt to this Florida investment fund last summer.There's nothing like Marco Rubio hiring Jeb's buddies at Tew Cardenas to *investigate* all the evidence of Jeb's involvement, isn't it? Wonder how this evidence might be erased *accidentally*?
Florida's Republican-riddled government is a cesspool of corruption.
State house hires consultants to examine investment messBy Jennifer Liberto, Times Staff Writer
February 26, 2008
TALLAHASSEE - Three months after problems arose with a local investment pool at the State Board of Administration, the Florida House speaker has hired consultants for $200,000 to examine what happened.
House Speaker Marco Rubio has asked the consultants, including a firm he used to work for, to deliver an initial report in two weeks, saying he wants to know quickly whether new legislation is needed to prevent future investment problems.
Part of the contract, $50,000, goes to Thomas Tew of Tew-Cardenas, a law firm that employed Rubio in the mid 1990s. The firm's partners include Al Cardenas, former head of the Republican Party of Florida, who has ties to former Gov. Jeb Bush.
On Tew's suggestion, the House has spent $150,000 to hire Tanya Styblo Beder, chairman of SBCC, a New York-based firm that advises financial firms. Beder briefly worked for California's Orange County when it had to declare bankruptcy in 1994. Tew called Beder an expert who "understands the financial engineering of these securities."
To pay for the consultants, the House has dropped its outside counsel for a lawsuit over university tuition with the Board of Governors, said Rubio's spokeswoman Jill Chamberlin. Instead, the House will split legal fees for the Senate's attorney, Dan Brown at Carlton Fields.
.....
Forbes: Jeb Bush involvement with Lehman raises questions in Florida investment fund debacle, December 1, 2007
Florida's Sunday Editorials: Time to take a hard look at Jeb's role in FL investment fund debacle, December 23, 2007
$8B pulled from state investment pool (Florida), November 29, 2007
Way to go, Marco Rubio. A loyal little soldier.