| February 11, 2002
The Honorable Jeb Bush
Office of the Governor
The Capitol
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0001
Dear Governor Bush:
You chair the oversight board of the Florida pension fund and
it has been made well known that you have had sustained contact
with Enron officials. Most recently you were the guest of a fundraiser
held by a former high-level Enron official, this all the while
knowing that this created an appearance of impropriety. Moreover
you were aware of the potential losses to the Florida pension
fund and you allowed the continued purchase of Enron stocks. Now
that the losses have been identified at $334 million, you brushed
it off as a minimal loss to the fund. It may be a small loss to
the entire fund but it is in fact a loss, a loss that could have
been prevented had you conducted your duties to protect the pension
and not to protect Enron stock value.
There are many conflicts of interest resulting from your strong
ties and entanglements to Enron, therefore we call for you to
recuse yourself from making any decisions or taking any actions
relating to these investigations, and from taking an active role
in any lawsuits against Enron, Arthur Andersen or other entities
related to the Enron collapse. We call on you to refrain from
taking any actions on behalf of the Board of Administration that
relate to Enron. We also ask that you comply with all sunshine
requests of your contacts with Enron associates or representatives
while Governor of Florida and acting on behalf of the people of
Florida. We ask that this investigation to be performed by independent
investigators.
It is your duty to the state and nation to recuse yourself so
that any investigations avoid even the appearance of conflict
of interest. We make our request because:
- You appointed Walter Revell to be chairman of the Florida
2020 Energy Study Commission, which was established to develop
energy strategies for the state. Mr. Revell is a 25-year friend
of Ken Lay. The policies set forth by the commission could have
greatly benefited Enron;
- In 1999, Enron subsidiary Azurix proposed a scheme under
which it would help pay for Everglades restoration in exchange
for water rights. Approximately two weeks after Enron's plan
was proposed, you appointed James Garner III, an Azurix lobbyist,
to the Governor's Commission for the Everglades;
- Enron has been a generous contributor to your campaign and
to Florida Republicans. Enron, its subsidiaries and its employees
contributed $420,000 to Florida political campaigns between
1995 and 2001, more than 80 percent of that going to Republicans,
according to the St. Petersburg Times. And the Florida Republican
Party received at least $76,500 from Enron towards your election
in 1998, state records show;
- According to Florida Department of State records, you accepted
nearly $20,000 from Enron, its subsidiaries, and the company's
accounting and law firms, during your 1998 campaign, including
$6,500 directly from Enron executives;
- In January of this year, Richard Kinder, former Enron president
and large donor to your brother, George W. Bush, and the Republican
Party, held a fundraising event for you at his Houston home,
which you attended;
In light of the fact that other public officials have acknowledged
their conflicts and reacted accordingly, we believe that you owe
the people of Florida a complete explanation of the extent of your
ties with Enron. We ask you to:
- Disclose all contacts you have had with Enron executives
or agents since you have been governor and explain the nature
of those contacts;
- Recuse yourself recuse yourself from making any decisions
or taking any actions relating to these investigations
- Tell the public when you knew Enron was in financial trouble,
particularly whether you had knowledge of Enron's shaky financial
condition as the state pension fund was buying shares that were
rapidly declining in value;
We expect that you will recuse yourself and make the requested information
available to the public
Sincerely,
Voice of Freedom
cc: Mr. Joe Redner, Founder
|