Reverse Gold Rush: Pols Hurry to Return Rothstein Cash

To know just how influential and rich Scott Rothstein was, you need only look at those checking the "return to sender" box on campaign contributions.

Gov. Charlie Crist, Florida Chief Financial Officer and gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink, Senate President Jeff Atwater, U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam, and the Florida Democratic and Republican parties just to name a few.

All have said they will return thousands of dollars contributed by Rothstein and his law firm after the Fort Lauderdale attorney was implicated in a huge Ponzi scheme that is rumored to have bilked clients out of nearly a half a billion dollars.

The money will likely be a part of the package to pay back the hundreds of others who just recently found out their money wasn't quite being used as it was intended.

Others have said they will donate it to charity.

Most of the public statements by politicians returning cash start with the "Out of an abundance of caution" statement, which means they don't want any rivals accusing them of being close friends with a lying, cheating, no good SOB.

Bill McCollum, who is running against Sink has already started campaign contribution bashing, which led to Sink returning $6,000 in donations.

"The campaign is returning or donating to charity any contributions from Mr. Rothstein, his wife, his law firm and his other corporate entities," Sink's campaign told Naked Politics. "If it becomes clear that others were involved in this matter, it’s our intention to return those contributions as well.”

Which brings us to Gov. Crist, who by the looks of Rothstein's law office wall of fame, was closer than close with the lawyer. Rothstein's walls were covered with chummy photos of he and the governor, so much so that Crist shows up more than Rothstein's wife.

Crist attended Rothstein's wedding and received a special, $52,000 birthday cake from the Rothsteins. When the cake was presented at a Republican fundraiser, they blew the candles out together. AWWWWW.

Crist addressed his relationship with one of his largest campaign contributors by telling the Miami Herald, "I'd call him a friend." He's returning close to $10,000.

Just about every politician or upstart wanted to call Rothstein a friend before last week.

He had contributed $600,000 to the state Republican Party in recent years and around $200,000 to the Dems. Various other GOP and Democrat politicians from around the state have also received thousands of dollars of the tainted dough.

Now the money is expected to go back to the people who just recently learned it was gone.

MORE FROM NBCMIAMI.COM

NBCMIAMI.com Section Front

33 Cubans Arrive Near Nuclear Power Plant Timoney Walks Out with a Big Check Miami Commission Keeping it Special Hunt for the Grove Rapist Brewer's Folks: Teen Determined to Recover NBCMIAMI.com Section Front   Add NBCMIAMI.com headlines to your news reader: