PAIGE KREEGEL
Personal Issues:
Stripper’s Paternity
Claim: A stripper filed a paternity suit against Kreegel in 1991, alleging he
got her pregnant, denied paternity, and urged her to get an abortion. In a
court deposition, Kreegel said: “There is a remote possibility that had she
been pregnant, it could have been by me.” Kreegel settled the case for $2500. (St. Petersburg Times, July 22, 2007; Charlotte County
Circuit Court, Case #91-1353, Lena Nguyen v. Paige Kreegel, Filed 8/15/1991,
Dismissed 1/8/92)
Summons Issued for
Arrest: A summons was issued for Kreegel’s arrest on “criminal mischief”
charges in 1989 after he allegedly kicked the car of a woman who was stalking
him. (Charlotte County Circuit Court, Case
#081989MM0012750001XX, Filed 4/14/89; Sarasota Herald Tribune, February 26,
2006)
Unlawful Operation of
a Boat: In 1976 Kreegel received a misdemeanor unlawful operation of a boat
in Miami-Dade County. Kreegel was fined and the case was closed. (Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts, Case #M-76-065916,
Filed 9/21/1976)
Civil Court Issues:
Sued for Unpaid
Construction Bills: Contractors have twice-sued Kreegel for unpaid bills
related to electrical work at his medical office and roofing at his home.
· $13,831 judgment was ordered against Kreegel in 1994
for unpaid electrical work done at his medical practice. Kreegel paid off the
judgment a month later. (Charlotte County
Circuit Court, Case #92-1819-CA, Final Judgment for Plaintiff, Filed August 31,
1994; St. Petersburg Times, July 22, 2007)
· $16,745 construction lien was placed against Kreegel
in 2008 for unpaid bills to a roofing contractor. The lien does not appear to have
been satisfied. (Charlotte County Clerk,
Book 3333, Pg. 363, Instr. #1802417, Filed 10/23/08)
Sued for Unpaid Political
Bills: A political media vendor sued Kreegel for unpaid bills stemming from
his unsuccessful 2012 congressional bid. The case, filed in Charlotte County, remains
on-going. (Charlotte County Circuit Court, Case
#082012CA003795, Filed 12/11/12; The News-Press, January 8, 2014)
Medical Malpractice
Lawsuits: Patients have sued Kreegel three times for medical malpractice
but each case against Kreegel was settled and dismissed. (Charlotte County Circuit Court, Case #s 97-170-CA,
01-33-CA, 91-CA-345; St. Petersburg Times, July 22, 2007)
Medical Practice
Indebtedness: Kreegel’s medical practice was sued for breach of contract
and indebtedness in 1997 and the case was dismissed in 1998. (Charlotte County Circuit Court, Case #1997-CA-001408,
Filed 8/15/1997)
NOTE: Kreegel sued Public
Concepts LLC for libel after the political-ad agency released a direct-mail
piece regarding Kreegel’s paternity suit, medical malpractice cases, and
summons for arrest. The case garnered state-level media attention and was
dismissed three years later. (Charlotte County Circuit Court, Case
#082005CA001044, Filed May 5, 2005, Dismissed May 15, 2008; St. Petersburg
Times, July 22
Ethics Issues:
Public Resources for
Campaigning Investigation: House Speaker Marco Rubio launched an investigation,
for the “first time in recent memory, into Kreegel regarding a complaint that
the lawmaker used state resources for election purposes. While Kreegel was cleared
of wrongdoing, his personal aide resigned. (The
News-Press, July 9, 2008)
Pay-to-Play: Two
months before he introduced a last-minute amendment to block Gov. Crist’s
industry-opposed auto efficiency standards, Kreegel accepted nearly $8,000 from
lobbyists for the auto industry. (Sarasota
Herald-Tribune, June 22, 2008)
Possible Ethics
Violation: A State Farm agent purchased Kreegel’s dinner in 2008 and in
doing so potentially violated Florida law that bans legislators from accepting
anything from an entity that employs a lobbyist. (Sarasota
Herald-Tribune, March 16, 2008)
Pocketbook Issues:
State Spending Hike: As
a representative Kreegel voted for budgets that increased the state’s overall
spending by $12.6 billion — a 22% increase. (Sun-Sentinel,
May 7, 2005; Florida Times-Union, May 26, 2006; Orlando Sentinel, May 27, 2007,
May 29, 2010; Bradenton Herald, June 12, 2008, May 27, 2011, April 18, 2012;
Palm Beach Post, May 28, 2009)
Billions in Budget
Turkeys: Florida’s Governors slashed $22.5 billion in wasteful budget
turkeys from the Kreegel-approved budgets — including Gov. Scott’s record $615
million veto in 2011. (Sun-Sentinel, May 7, 2005;
Florida Times-Union, May 26, 2006; Orlando Sentinel, May 27, 2007, May 29,
2010; Bradenton Herald, June 12, 2008, May 27, 2011, April 18, 2012; Palm Beach
Post, May 28, 2009; Florida TaxWatch, Budget Turkey Reports, 2005-2012)
$2.2 Billion in Tax
& Fee Increases: Kreegel approved a Gov. Crist-enacted budget that cost
Floridians $2.2 billion in higher taxes and fees on everything from cigarettes
to park passes to car registrations and college assessment tests. (Palm Beach Post, May 28, 2009; Florida House of
Representatives, May 8, 2009, SB 2600, Vote Seq. #515, Overall vote: 75-43,
Kreegel vote: Yes)
Stimulus-Balanced
Budgets: Kreegel approved a 2010 Gov. Crist-enacted budget that was
balanced using more than $2 billion in federal stimulus funds. (Sarasota Herald Tribune, May 29, 2010; Florida House
of Representatives, April 30, 2010, HB 5001, Vote Seq. #1122, Overall vote:
77-43, Kreegel vote: Yes)
Stimulus-Funded High
Speed Rail: Kreegel authorized the state to compete for up to $8 billion in
federal stimulus dollars to build a high-speed rail network that Gov. Scott rejected
and shut down two years later. (Palm Beach Post,
December 21, 2009; Tampa Bay Times, February 16, 2011; Florida House of
Representatives, December 7, 2009, HB 1B, Vote Seq #524, Overall vote: 84-25,
Kreegel vote: Yes)
Gov. Crist’s Cap
& Trade Plan: Kreegel shepherded Gov. Crist’s cap and trade system
through the House in 2008. The system, which required lawmaker approval to
begin, was never implemented and Kreegel voted in 2012 to repeal it. (Sarasota Herald-Tribune, April 30, 2008; Florida House
of Representatives, April 29, 2008, HB 7135, House Seq #969, Overall vote:
108-0, Kreegel vote: Yes; Florida House of Representatives, March 1, 2012, HB
4001, Vote Seq #1017, Overall vote: 82-34, Kreegel vote: Yes)
Marlins Stadium
Financing: Kreegel voted for a 2007 bill to give $60 million in
state-taxpayer dollars for a new Marlins stadium. The bill failed in the
Senate. (Florida House of Representatives, April
26, 2007, HB 323, Vote Seq #212, Overall vote: 86-24, Kreegel vote: Yes)
Professional Sports
Subsidy: Kreegel voted for a 2007 bill to give $540 million in new tax
incentives to all nine of Florida’s professional sports franchises. The bill
failed in the Senate. (Florida House of
Representatives, April 30, 2007, HB 1079, Vote Seq # 313, Overall vote: 74-41,
Kreegel vote: Yes)
College Tuition Hike:
Kreegel voted in favor of a 2007 bill to raise tuition at Florida’s public
universities by 40% over four years and in 2012 he again voted for a 5% tuition
hike as part of the state’s budget. (The
News-Press, May 3, 2007; Florida House of Representatives, May 2, 2007, SB
1710, Seq. #388, Overall vote: 79-37, Kreegel vote: Yes; Florida House of
Representatives, March 9, 2012, HB 5001, Vote Seq. #1206, Overall vote: 80-37,
Kreegel vote: Yes)
Opposes Government
Spending Cap: Kreegel voted against a state-constitutional amendment that
would implement government spending caps based on population and inflation. (Florida House of Representatives, May 4, 2011, SJR
958, Vote Seq. #541, Overall vote: 78-40, Kreegel vote: No)
Miscellaneous
Issues:
“Ineffective”
Lawmaker: The News-Press slammed
Kreegel in 2011 for being an “ineffective” lawmaker as he failed to become
chair of a committee and only saw one of his bills pass. (The News-Press, Editorial, June 14, 2011)
Supports Off-Shore
Drilling: Kreegel supported off-shore drilling in a 2008 candidate survey
and rejected Gov. Crist’s constitutional ban on off-shore drilling, but skipped
a vote in 2009 that would have authorized drilling in state waters. (The News-Press, August 9, 2008; St. Petersburg Times,
March 31, 2010; Florida House of Representatives, April 27, 2009, HB 1219, Vote
Seq #315, Overall vote: 70-43, Kreegel vote: Absent)
Homeless People Are Bums: Following a string of attacks on homeless people for sport, Kreegel
voted against legislation to add greater judicial protections and derisively referred
to homeless people as “bums.” (St. Petersburg
Times, April 20, 2010; Florida House of Representatives, April 20, 2010, HB 11,
Seq. #821, Overall vote: 80-28, Kreegel vote: Yes)
