Kottkamp may have used plane for personal trips
TALLAHASSEE (AP) – Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp says he used a state plane to travel for official business, but records show he may have used the plane for personal trips.
Kottkamp reimbursed the state more than $10,000 for flights his wife and son took aboard state planes after The Sun Sentinel of Fort Lauderdale investigated their travel. But records show he claimed he used the plane to fly to St. Augustine in 2007 for a federal Small Business Administration event even though officials at the governor’s office and the federal agency said they didn’t know of any event then.
Governor’s office officials said the day before the trip, Kottkamp’s scheduler distributed an internal e-mail listing his agenda for that weekend as all clear, marked as “personal days” in neighboring Ponte Vedra.
SBA officials said they had no events during Kottkamp’s visit.
“I found our archive calendars from that time there’s nothing on there,” said spokeswoman Lola Naylor. “It would’ve been a big enough event that it would’ve been on our calendar.”
A spokeswoman for the governor’s office didn’t immediately comment when The Associated Press called Sunday.
“I can tell you that not everything I do is on the calendar, that’s for certain,” Kottkamp told The Sun Sentinel.
On Thanksgiving weekend 2008, Kottkamp and his wife flew to Tallahassee for a college football game. Records show he attended a jazz brunch at a lobbyist’s home before flying home on a state plane to Fort Myers. The couple were scheduled to attend a celebration at FSU President T.K. Wetherell’s home, then a “Gator Brew, Seminole Stew” at a UF trustee’s home before watching the game from the president’s box.
Kottkamp’s staff also arranged for him to wave to the crowd from the field and do a pregame interview with a statewide cable channel. Kottkamp is chairman of the Florida Sports Foundation, which promotes sporting events in the state.
A Pinellas County activist has filed an ethics complaint against Kottkamp over his use of state planes. David Plyer said Kottkamp violated state law by misusing his position for personal benefit and should drive to entertainment events like the football game.