Corporations tied to U.S. Senate candidate Carlos Beruff donated to ex-Republican Charlie Crist more than 30 times, according to records with the Florida Department of State.
Beruff donated $4,800 to Crist’s Senate campaign against Marco Rubio in 2010 and is now challenging the Florida senator in the Republican primary.
Beruff’s financial support for Crist goes back as far as the 2006 gubernatorial race, totaling $15,500 from more than a dozen corporate entities where Beruff was listed as president, officer, or trustee.
Each business donated $500, the maximum amount allowed by state law for both the primary and general election at the time.
Companies contributing $500 to Crist in 2005 and 2006 included Carlos Beruff, P.A.; Medallion Homes Gulf Coast, Inc.; Medallion Homes Joint Venture; Medallion Homes Gulf Coast, LC; and Medallion Financial Corp.; and Medallion Realty, LLC.
Southern Hammocks, Inc. Contributed $1,000 when Beruff was an officer of the company, and a dozen more companies listing Beruff as an officer donated $500 each. No Problem Trust, which listed Beruff as a trustee, also contributed $500.
CARGOR Development Partnership Entities, which is tied to several subsidiaries that list Beruff as an officer, contributed $4,000 to Crist’s gubernatorial campaign.
CARGOR also donated $10,000 to a group that supported Crist. Floridians for Truth and Integrity in Government raised $3 million to help elect the disgraced Republican.
Beruff has come under fire for his association with Crist before. Beruff attended a fundraiser for Crist in 2010 after Crist left the Republican Party.
Beruff defended his attendance at the fundraiser, saying "I have lots of friends that invite me to very nice houses."