Democratic discord

State Sen. Eleanor Sobel blasts Grayson and endorses Murphy for US Senate

State Sen. Eleanor Sobel, D-Hollywood, issued a sharply critical critique of potential Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Alan Grayson on Tuesday, calling him an embarrassment and detriment to the party.

She also endorsed Patrick Murphy for the Democratic nomination to run for the seat held by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio. Rubio isn’t running for re-election next year as he focuses his attention on seeking the Republican party’s presidential nomination.

Sobel’s statement on the potential Democratic Senate primary dealt more with what she didn’t like about Grayson, an outspoken liberal congressman from Orlando, than what she likes about Murphy, a conservative-leaning congressman who currently represents northern Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties.

“I cannot, in good conscience, sit back and watch Alan Grayson continue embarrassing my party and my state. His profane tirades were one thing, but his recently uncovered ethical lapses regarding a hedge fund in the Cayman Islands was simply the last straw. I can recall Mr. Grayson chastising others for the very same activity, an activity that he now appears to have engaged in for his own personal profiteering. Clearly he is the exact opposite of the progressive hero he claims to be and it would be a detriment to Democrats to let him represent our party at any level.”

Sobel then went on to add that she is “proud to endorse” Murphy. She said he is dedicated to protecting seniors, supporting the environment and shows a “willingness to work with others to get things done.”

In May, when Grayson was asked by the Tampa Bay Times about incorporating hedge funds in the Cayman Islands, a move that can help investors avoid taxes, he exploded in anger, repeatedly using words referring to excrement and sexual activity that can’t be published here.

On Monday, an organization called the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, wrote a letter asking that the Office of Congressional Ethics investigate Grayson’s hedge funds. “This is not simply a technical violation, but rather is a violation that implicates fundamental goals of the ethics rules — to ensure that Members fulfill the public trust inherent in the office by prohibiting Members from profiting by virtue of their office and being improperly influenced,” the organization said in its letter.

The foundation has also filed complaints against Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton and U.S. Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, the Senate Democratic leader.

On Tuesday, Celeste Bush, chairwoman of the St. Lucie County Democratic Party in Murphy’s home territory, also filed a complaint against Grayson with the same ethics office with essentially the same allegations.

Grayson’s camp said via email that he did nothing wrong and criticized Bush for attacking him.

“Alan broke no laws, violated no ethics rules and fully disclosed everything,” spokesman Kevin Franck said. “Supporters of former Republican Patrick Murphy are on the attack because they can’t defend Murphy’s conservative record of siding with Wall Street and they know that Alan Grayson can’t be bought or bossed around.”