FBI targeted ex-Commissioner Bryant
Informant wanted to know about plane rentals from developer
Posted: September 12, 2010 - 12:00am
Bryant
Listen to Part 1 of the FBI audio tape:
Listen to Part 2 of the FBI audio tape
Listen to Part 3 of the FBI audio tape
Listen to Part 4 of the FBI audio tape
One of the developers of Nocatee, the biggest development in St. Johns County, said he cut former St. Johns County Commissioner Jim Bryant a deal in renting an airplane, according to FBI surveillance tapes from 2008 that The Record has obtained.
The tapes, made on July 14, 2008, was of Roger O'Steen, president of The PARC group in Jacksonville, and included a telephone conversation with Bryant, who was a commissioner at the time. Bryant did not seek re-election that year, but did seek election this year. He lost in August to Jay Morris of Ponte Vedra Beach.
Paul McCormick, owner of the McCormick Group, a Jacksonville public relations group, taped O'Steen in his office in Jacksonville. Asked why the FBI wanted him to make the tape, McCormick said, "It had nothing to do with Roger, and that's all I can say about it.
"I think any time someone in authority asks (for your help), you don't deny that opportunity," McCormick said about why he recorded the conversation.
The McCormick Group did public relations work for The PARC Group, which has developed Marsh Creek in St. Augustine and is developing Nocatee in northern St. Johns County. The "new town" development is planned to have 14,000 homes at build out in 30 years. In addition, there is commercial space as well as expansive open space and conservation areas.
In the tape, McCormick asked O'Steen several times about Bryant's rental of an airplane from O'Steen.
In response to McCormick's questions, O'Steen said Bryant had rented the plane, a Cirrus SR20, which O'Steen has since sold. It is a single-engine, four-passenger plane.
"He (Bryant) doesn't fly much. I cut him a deal. I let him fly below what the rate is," O'Steen said.
"He writes me a check, and I get it verified and it's an acceptable number. It's a number I can easily defend ... I told him early on I don't want to do anything that's going to get either one of us on the front page of the newspaper."
O'Steen declined to comment directly for this article, but did relay a message through a company spokeswoman that, "It is our longstanding policy not to comment on an individual person."
On the tape, O'Steen says of Bryant, "He's a good guy. He's very honest. I don't think he can be bought."
Bryant did not return calls.
However, Bryant told The St. Augustine Record editorial board in August that he had paid O'Steen $150 an hour for use of the plane for a total of about $17,000 over the years he was on the commission. He did not say whether he returned the plane with the tank full. The last time he rented the plane, he said he did not have enough money to pay O'Steen so he gave him a refrigerator that he could put in his airplane hanger.
Bryant also said that he has known the O'Steen family since he was a child growing up in Jacksonville and that he became a pharmacist because Roger O'Steen's parents, who were pharmacists, sparked his interest in that profession.
Gifts prohibited
Elected officials are prohibited from directly or indirectly accepting a gift of more than $100 from lobbyists or political committees.
Julie Costas with the Florida Commission on Ethics said it "sounds like a preferential rate and, that would make it a gift definitely."
She added that if Bryant did not know he was getting preferential treatment, he "would have an argument" in defense of not being in violation of state ethics rules.
Florida Commission on Ethics spokesperson Kerrie Stillman said if someone is found in violation, penalties range based on the nature of the offense. They can include public censure or reprimand, restitution or a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per count.
The FBI has had the tape for more than two years and has not acted on it. An FBI spokesman declined comment, as is the FBI's routine policy.
A spokesman at Platinum Aviation Holdings, Fort Lauderdale, said his company has three Cirrus SR20 planes, which they rent for between $189 to $209 and hour, with the renter filling the gas tank at the end of the rental.
The owner of the plane sets the rental rates, he said, although his company could not have rented a Cirrus SR20 in 2006 for as low as $150 an hour. In 2006, his company was renting Cirrus SR20 planes for $189 an hour with the renter filling the tank.
However, he said if the owner's debt is low or the plane is paid for, "He may lower it (rate) down to $150 an hour; I wouldn't says that's impossible."
On the tape, McCormick steered the conversation several times to Bryant, and when O'Steen suggested they call Bryant on the speaker telephone, McCormick encouraged him to do so.
During the conversation with Bryant, the three talked about routine political gossip, but only mentioned the airplane in passing. Those conversations were before and after a telephone conversation between Bryant and O'Steen.
The Record obtained the surveillance tape shortly before the election in August, and decided not to run the article then because it is the newspaper's policy not to run potentially damaging stories about a candidate just before an election.
Political topics
During the conversation, Bryant said he was encouraging Randy Brunson, who was running to replace Bryant, to accept money from developers because he needed it to get out mailers to voters.
On getting money from developers, Bryant said, "They've got (Randy) so paranoid about developer money or anything near developer money he thinks that's the kiss of death. But the newspaper's not going to beat him up over that because I've already been working (editorial page editor) Margo (Pope) and (then Publisher) Derek May, and they're not going to beat him up over it.
"... I was there in his (Brunson's) office today and told him don't be ashamed to take money for it. If they want to support ... let them support you. In my opinion, you can't let that bother you."
On accepting money, Bryant said, "I think what (Brunson's) resolved to do is, the next to the last reporting period, which comes down about four days before the election, I think he's going to take a bunch of money from (unintelligible) and their buddy because I told him you can't do much damage in four days. ... He's got to get his message out there."
On candidate Mark Miner, Bryant said, "I think the Miner kid is pretty heady. He's strong. And I think he'll take stands on issues." Miner went on to defeat incumbent Ben Rich. Miner is now on leave while he serves with the Florida National Guard in Iraq and Kuwait.
Bryant, McCormick and O'Steen talked about Tom Manuel and what would happen if he is removed from the county commission.
Bryant said opponents to former Commissioner Karen Stern had filed an ethics charge that "keep her busy" because they were afraid the governor might appoint her to fill the seat. Bryant said that was not going to happen since the accepted wisdom is not to appoint someone who has run but not been elected by the voters.
McCormick said the governor might appoint someone who has retired and not lost and then admitted he was floating a balloon to see how Bryant would respond.
"I would reluctantly do it if I was asked to. I'm not going to actively go seek it," Bryant said.
At the end of the tape, as McCormick was preparing to leave, he said to O'Steen, "Thanks man, I'll be back like a bad penny."
Contributing: Pete Ellis of The St. Augustine Record
What Florida law says
Individuals, including candidates, are required to file annual disclosure Form 1 or Form 6 (other than officials, members, or employees of the State Executive Branch and members or employees of the Legislature) and State procurement employees are prohibited from directly or indirectly accepting a gift worth over $100 from a lobbyist, from a partner, firm, employer, or principal of the lobbyist, or from a political committee or committee of continuous existence. (However, a gift may be accepted by a person on behalf of a governmental entity or charitable organization, provided the gift is promptly transferred to the intended entity or organization.)
Source: Florida Commission on Ethics
Listen to Part 2 of the FBI audio tape
Listen to Part 3 of the FBI audio tape
Listen to Part 4 of the FBI audio tape
One of the developers of Nocatee, the biggest development in St. Johns County, said he cut former St. Johns County Commissioner Jim Bryant a deal in renting an airplane, according to FBI surveillance tapes from 2008 that The Record has obtained.
The tapes, made on July 14, 2008, was of Roger O'Steen, president of The PARC group in Jacksonville, and included a telephone conversation with Bryant, who was a commissioner at the time. Bryant did not seek re-election that year, but did seek election this year. He lost in August to Jay Morris of Ponte Vedra Beach.
Paul McCormick, owner of the McCormick Group, a Jacksonville public relations group, taped O'Steen in his office in Jacksonville. Asked why the FBI wanted him to make the tape, McCormick said, "It had nothing to do with Roger, and that's all I can say about it.
"I think any time someone in authority asks (for your help), you don't deny that opportunity," McCormick said about why he recorded the conversation.
The McCormick Group did public relations work for The PARC Group, which has developed Marsh Creek in St. Augustine and is developing Nocatee in northern St. Johns County. The "new town" development is planned to have 14,000 homes at build out in 30 years. In addition, there is commercial space as well as expansive open space and conservation areas.
In the tape, McCormick asked O'Steen several times about Bryant's rental of an airplane from O'Steen.
In response to McCormick's questions, O'Steen said Bryant had rented the plane, a Cirrus SR20, which O'Steen has since sold. It is a single-engine, four-passenger plane.
"He (Bryant) doesn't fly much. I cut him a deal. I let him fly below what the rate is," O'Steen said.
"He writes me a check, and I get it verified and it's an acceptable number. It's a number I can easily defend ... I told him early on I don't want to do anything that's going to get either one of us on the front page of the newspaper."
O'Steen declined to comment directly for this article, but did relay a message through a company spokeswoman that, "It is our longstanding policy not to comment on an individual person."
On the tape, O'Steen says of Bryant, "He's a good guy. He's very honest. I don't think he can be bought."
Bryant did not return calls.
However, Bryant told The St. Augustine Record editorial board in August that he had paid O'Steen $150 an hour for use of the plane for a total of about $17,000 over the years he was on the commission. He did not say whether he returned the plane with the tank full. The last time he rented the plane, he said he did not have enough money to pay O'Steen so he gave him a refrigerator that he could put in his airplane hanger.
Bryant also said that he has known the O'Steen family since he was a child growing up in Jacksonville and that he became a pharmacist because Roger O'Steen's parents, who were pharmacists, sparked his interest in that profession.
Gifts prohibited
Elected officials are prohibited from directly or indirectly accepting a gift of more than $100 from lobbyists or political committees.
Julie Costas with the Florida Commission on Ethics said it "sounds like a preferential rate and, that would make it a gift definitely."
She added that if Bryant did not know he was getting preferential treatment, he "would have an argument" in defense of not being in violation of state ethics rules.
Florida Commission on Ethics spokesperson Kerrie Stillman said if someone is found in violation, penalties range based on the nature of the offense. They can include public censure or reprimand, restitution or a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per count.
The FBI has had the tape for more than two years and has not acted on it. An FBI spokesman declined comment, as is the FBI's routine policy.
A spokesman at Platinum Aviation Holdings, Fort Lauderdale, said his company has three Cirrus SR20 planes, which they rent for between $189 to $209 and hour, with the renter filling the gas tank at the end of the rental.
The owner of the plane sets the rental rates, he said, although his company could not have rented a Cirrus SR20 in 2006 for as low as $150 an hour. In 2006, his company was renting Cirrus SR20 planes for $189 an hour with the renter filling the tank.
However, he said if the owner's debt is low or the plane is paid for, "He may lower it (rate) down to $150 an hour; I wouldn't says that's impossible."
On the tape, McCormick steered the conversation several times to Bryant, and when O'Steen suggested they call Bryant on the speaker telephone, McCormick encouraged him to do so.
During the conversation with Bryant, the three talked about routine political gossip, but only mentioned the airplane in passing. Those conversations were before and after a telephone conversation between Bryant and O'Steen.
The Record obtained the surveillance tape shortly before the election in August, and decided not to run the article then because it is the newspaper's policy not to run potentially damaging stories about a candidate just before an election.
Political topics
During the conversation, Bryant said he was encouraging Randy Brunson, who was running to replace Bryant, to accept money from developers because he needed it to get out mailers to voters.
On getting money from developers, Bryant said, "They've got (Randy) so paranoid about developer money or anything near developer money he thinks that's the kiss of death. But the newspaper's not going to beat him up over that because I've already been working (editorial page editor) Margo (Pope) and (then Publisher) Derek May, and they're not going to beat him up over it.
"... I was there in his (Brunson's) office today and told him don't be ashamed to take money for it. If they want to support ... let them support you. In my opinion, you can't let that bother you."
On accepting money, Bryant said, "I think what (Brunson's) resolved to do is, the next to the last reporting period, which comes down about four days before the election, I think he's going to take a bunch of money from (unintelligible) and their buddy because I told him you can't do much damage in four days. ... He's got to get his message out there."
On candidate Mark Miner, Bryant said, "I think the Miner kid is pretty heady. He's strong. And I think he'll take stands on issues." Miner went on to defeat incumbent Ben Rich. Miner is now on leave while he serves with the Florida National Guard in Iraq and Kuwait.
Bryant, McCormick and O'Steen talked about Tom Manuel and what would happen if he is removed from the county commission.
Bryant said opponents to former Commissioner Karen Stern had filed an ethics charge that "keep her busy" because they were afraid the governor might appoint her to fill the seat. Bryant said that was not going to happen since the accepted wisdom is not to appoint someone who has run but not been elected by the voters.
McCormick said the governor might appoint someone who has retired and not lost and then admitted he was floating a balloon to see how Bryant would respond.
"I would reluctantly do it if I was asked to. I'm not going to actively go seek it," Bryant said.
At the end of the tape, as McCormick was preparing to leave, he said to O'Steen, "Thanks man, I'll be back like a bad penny."
Contributing: Pete Ellis of The St. Augustine Record
What Florida law says
Individuals, including candidates, are required to file annual disclosure Form 1 or Form 6 (other than officials, members, or employees of the State Executive Branch and members or employees of the Legislature) and State procurement employees are prohibited from directly or indirectly accepting a gift worth over $100 from a lobbyist, from a partner, firm, employer, or principal of the lobbyist, or from a political committee or committee of continuous existence. (However, a gift may be accepted by a person on behalf of a governmental entity or charitable organization, provided the gift is promptly transferred to the intended entity or organization.)
Source: Florida Commission on Ethics
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