In Depth: How Jim Greer allegedly mismanaged money

ORLANDO -- 

News 13 is taking a deeper look into the way Jim Greer handled money, which prosecutors said was mismanaged.

Greer, who was Gov. Charlie Crist’s hand-picked leader for the Republican Party of Florida, was indicted by a grand jury Wednesday on six felony charges.

According to the affidavit, Greer struggled to maintain the status quo of his lavish lifestyle that included luxury cars, a number of homes and other properties, as well as a boat.

Investigators with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said Greer created a company to “steal” money from the Republican Party of Florida for his own personal benefit.

Greer, who started a number of businesses in the last 10years, had named himself in some sort of management position.

Looking over public records, News 13 has uncovered pages of companies and locations in which Greer owned or ran in various locations like Palm Bay, Tallahassee and Oviedo.

As it turns out, most of those companies have failed.

According to the affidavit, Greer continues to operate his business ventures from his Oviedo home.

As News 13 continues to sort through the grand jury affidavit, red flags highlight Greer’s financial struggles.

When Greer first became chairman of the state Republican Party, he was paid $95,000 a year.

Shortly after, he asked the Executive Board to raise his pay to $130,000.

State prosecutors said Greer, along with Delmar Johnson, a top party staffer, created Victory Strategies LLC.

Johnson was given a Deferred Prosecution agreement by the state for his help in the investigation.

Victory Strategies LLC was a campaign fundraising company which had a contract with the Republic Party. Investigators say Greer kept a 60 percent ownership in the company, and Johnson owned the rest.

However, Greer’s involvement in Victory Strategies LLC was not disclosed.

According to the affidavit, “Mr. Johnson … was instructed not to disclose Mr. Greer’s involvement to anyone, to take steps to hide the truth about Mr. Greer’s involvement from RPOF and, if questioned, to deny Mr. Greer’s interest in the company.”

Greer and Johnson agreed they would split 10 percent of all the major donations coming in. Investigators said Victory Strategies was created to hide that money.

Services that Victory Strategies were paid for, investigators said, were never performed.

Each month, money would be deposited into bank accounts for Victory Strategies from the RPOF, and later deposited into Greer and Johnson’s accounts.

Subpoenas issued show from January to October of 2009, the RPOF paid Victory Strategies $199,254.50.

On top of the monthly payments, the affidavit said Greer also directed Johnson to tell members of the party to issue checks to the shell company “per the chairman.”

In September for example, the RPOF issued a check to Victory Strategies for $30,000.

That same day, Victory Strategies LLC issued a check to Jim Greer in the amount of $25,000. The affidavit said that money was deposited in Greer’s account the next day.

Bank records show Greer was suffering financially in 2009, and overdrew on at least one of his many accounts six times in 10 months.

According to the affidavit, “at least one of Mr. Greer’s bank accounts was overdrawn ranging from a $25,392 in July to an overdrawn status of $3,794 in August.”

The affidavit said his overdrawn accounts through January to October averaged at more than $10,000 a month.

The affidavit continues that his financial situation worsened to the point he begged for money.

Greer allegedly pleaded with a RPOF donor for help. The unnamed donor sent Greer $10,000 a month for more than a year and a half, according to the affidavit.

In 2007, shortly after becoming chairman, Greer financed three luxury cars. Two Mercedes-Benzes and a Lincoln Navigator were paid off in just three short years, according to Florida vehicle registration records.

Records show Greer also owned several watercrafts.

Greer was forced to resign in January amid allegations of extravagant spending of party funds.

It turns out the investigation started after state Attorney General Bill McCollum talked to the FDLE about looking into Victory Strategies, LLC.

Greer was arrested Wednesday at this Oviedo mansion. He was released that afternoon on $105,000 bond.