CL readers may recall a story in our paper published in late January (called "Taken for a ride") that reported on the discontent that many cabbies in Hillsborough County felt toward the PTC:
And while allegations of "corruption" may be heated rhetoric, criticism has rained down on the agency for years. Senator Storms later shifted her proposal from calling for elimination of the PTC to allowing the County Commission to decide its fate, but she has been withering in her denunciations of the agency.
A major regret that we had at that time was that a source very close to the goings-on of that agency had promised us in late December that he had plenty of information to tell about it. Unfortunately, in early January when we went about reporting and writing the piece, that source was busy on another major issue ongoing in Tampa.
The big news here is that the much-maligned Kevin White is in more trouble. Since we know nothing at this time about the charges other than what has been initially reported, we won't even dare comment on the allegations.
But it is no stretch to say that White has been ethically compromised throughout his public career, going back to his first race for Tampa City Council in 2003.
In 2007, White agreed to pay a fine of $9,500 for filing false election finance reports regarding his use of campaign money to buy tailor-made suits and ties.
In August of 2009, White was found guilty by a Hillsborough jury of sexually harassing his former aide, Alyssa Ogden. More controversy ensued when it was determined that the county was liable for White's legal bills since his actions occurred as a commissioner. But when he said he couldn't pay those bills, the BOCC sued him. He sued back.
He was back in the news recently after his lunch with now-former county attorney Renee Lee resulted in her being fired from the board.
Now this announcement regarding the FBI and the PTC.
After the harassment situation, some local pundits cynically believed he would still be re-elected by his constituents in the heavily Democratic District 3 county primary last August, but instead he was stunned, finishing in third place, behind winner Les Miller and challenger Valerie Goddard.
Anyone at all who's followed Hillsborough County politics knows there's always been something very smelly about actions at the Hillsborough Public Transportation Commission - the words "corrupt" come up quite often, leading in part to state Senator Ronda Storms' attempt to get the local Hillsborough legislative delegation to approve a bill that would dismantle the agency this year.
That's the backdrop to the bombshell reported this morning initially by the St. Petersburg Times Sue Carlton that former Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin White has been arrested by the FBI.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, White was indicted on 10 charges including bribery, conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud and lying to an FBI agent, specifically related to his chairmanship of the county's Public Transportation Commission.
White was arrested at his home and is expected to appear in federal court later today.
