After State GOP Reforms, One Staffer Fronts Big-Money Expenses

TALLAHASSEE — The Republican Party of Florida’s facelift over the past 15 months has left some of the party’s biggest power brokers on the sidelines, and has revamped how the state GOP both raises and spends donor cash.

The most salient example of the overhaul is James Blair, a 26-year-old staffer who is House speaker-designate Richard Corcoran’s right-hand man.

As incoming speaker, Corcoran is in charge of the wing of the state GOP responsible for raising money and coordinating House Republican campaigns. In the role, he has changed how the party pays expenses both big and small, in the process running a massive amount of spending — more than $800,000 — through a personal charge card held by the young staffer.

“The biggest reason is we want to be more efficient, more accountable, and more transparent,” said the Land O’Lakes Republican. “If we have a bunch of people turning in reimbursements, it is inefficient and can’t be nearly as accountable. This is a much better system.”

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