Financial Disclosure Scandal

Florida legislators are required to submit a financial disclosure form every year. Tea Party activist James K. Barnes filed a complaint against Sen. Mike Haridopolos, claiming Haridopolos had failed to disclose some of his assets. A subsequent investigation by the Florida ethics commission showed that Haridopolos indeed failed to disclose several large, hard-to-miss items, including:

• Income from his personal consulting firm MJH consulting, valued at $120,000 per year.
• A list of clients from MJH consulting.
• A home valued at $400,000.

How did Sen. Haridopolos miss more than a half million dollars in assets? He admitted: "I feel pretty silly...I mean, I'm a college professor and I didn't do it right."

Haridopolos' "punishment" for his ethics violations will be decided by close friend and former Republican Party of Florida chairman Sen. John Thrasher, who Haridopolos appointed to chair the Senate Rules Committee.

Learn More About The Disclosure Scandal

Ledger Sheet Shows A Shortage of Scruples
By Daniel Ruth - St. Petersburg Times
There's a Greek word, sometimes heard with regularity in our household, that would seem to apply to Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos, a man in full of himself: buffo.

Haridopolos Found Guilty In Ethics Violation
By Adam Smith - St. Petersburg Times
With almost no discussion, the Florida Commission on Ethics accepted a de facto guilty/no contest plea from Senate President Mike Haridopolos over his failure to properly fill out his financial disclosure forms over a period of five years.

Haridopolos Not Disclosing All, After All
By Jeff Schweers - Florida Today
Incoming Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, says he's committed to complete disclosure about his personal finances, but he has yet to return calls to Florida Today explaining why Appliance Direct has him on a $5,000 monthly retainer.

Haridopolos Facing Ethics Investigation Over Unreported Income and Investments
By Steve Bousquet - St. Petersburg Times
State Sen. Mike Haridopolos admitted Wednesday he made mistakes in five years of financial disclosure forms, but that came too late for the Florida Commission on Ethics, which found probable cause that the lawmaker violated the state ethics laws.