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Prosecutor: Jim Norman should have disclosed $500,000 gift

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By MIKE SALINERO | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 3, 2012

Updated: 02/03/2012 04:38 pm

TALLAHASSEE - State Sen. Jim Norman had a legal duty to disclose a $500,000 gift given to his wife by one of Norman's political supporters and did not do so, a prosecutor told members of the Florida Commission on Ethics today.

Ethics commissioners found probable cause that Norman broke the law when he did not report a $500,000 loan made to his wife, Mearline, by conservative activist Ralph Hughes. She used the money to buy and renovate a lakefront house in Arkansas.

Norman can now take his case to a state administrative law court or he can sign an admission of guilt and pay a fine. His Tallahassee attorney, Mark Levine, said they had not made a decision on which path to take.

The commission did not find probable cause that Norman was guilty of the more serious charge: exchanging votes or political favors in return for Hughes' loan.

"It was alleged this transaction took place to influence Mr. Norman's votes," Levine said. "That's bad stuff. They determined there was no reason to believe that occurred."

Federal prosecutors determined the same thing in November when they closed a one-year investigation into the Norman-Hughes relationship with a finding of no wrongdoing.

Levine made light of the gift charge, saying politicians with spouses who have businesses break the law unknowingly all the time. In his argument to the commission, Levine said Mearline Norman and Hughes had formed a partnership to fix up the Arkansas home and sell it. However, no documents attesting to such a partnership exist.

According to Levine, Norman, a former Hillsborough County commissioner, asked the county attorney whether he should disclose the loan, and she said no.

"If Sen. Norman would have come to me as private counsel and asked me my opinion, I would have told him he didn't have to report it." Levine said.

George Niemann, one of several Hillsborough County residents who filed ethics complaints against Norman regarding the house, said he felt somewhat vindicated.

"I think justice is partly served," said Niemann who drove to Tallahassee for the hearing. "Now we have to see if Sen. Norman is willing to own up and sign a consent order and pay a fine or go for a full-blown trial … I hope he can admit to the wrongdoing he's done."

msalinero@tampatrib.com (813) 259-8303

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