"SWITZERLAND" JOE GRUTERS CROSSED THE LINE AND SOLD HIS SOUL TO BECOME A POLITICAL HACK AS A FLORIDA STATE SENATOR AND CHAIR OF RPOF
SWITZERLAND JOE GRUTERS NOW WANTS TO BE TREASURER OF THE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN PARTY
Florida State Senator and Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) Joe Gruters, who once stood firm on his Conservative grassroots principals has sold his soul and crossed the line to become just another lackey in the local Pat Neal "Pay to Play" developers' political establishment organization.
Neal and Beruff
Gruters is now a member of the Neal/Beruff led corrupt local political establishment machine that has turned Sarasota and Manatee into a cesspool of political corruption.
Robinson
There was a time when Gruters stood above Eric "The Prince of Dirty Dark PAC Money" Robinson, the 68 Convicted felon Michael Barfield, Neal's devious political operatives Bob Waechter and Mac Stevenson and the other members of the corrupt Neal local political establishment machine, but not anymore.
Gruters who was a early on endorser of Conservative Republican candidates Rick Scott, Marco Rubio and Donald Trump has now got in bed with Waechter, Robinson, Stevenson, Neal and other RINO Republicans who were part of the Charlie Crist's RINO Party.
Waechter
Gruters has now got in bed with the same Waechter who sabotaged Gruters run for Chairman of the Republican Party in 2012 after Gruters became Chairman of the REC in 2008 and after leading Vern Buchanan successful campaign for U.S Congress in 2010.
Waechter sent the below disparaging comments about Gruters to the Lee County Republican Chairman, Charles Lee to distribute to others.
"Bottom Line: Joe is an opportunist that shuns hard work/While he has successfully ridden the crest of this cycles Republican wave he personally had little to do with its creation or implementation./ *He looks for volunteers to carry the ball with no regard for whether they will accomplish the task./ *Rather than search out a person that is right for the job he will give it to the first one that raises his/her hand just to get past the moment./*Getting past the moment pretty much exemplifies Joe's management style./*He tends to take the easy path with no regard for future consequences./*He will never make a hard decision or take a strong position but rather looks for consensus on every subject./*He is always agreeable to whomever he is talking with, on any subject./*Good guy to have a beer with, bad guy to put in charge of anything.'
Waechter concluded, "What I don't understand is Gruters apparent tendency to throw under the bus those that have stood by him in pretty much every instance."
GRUTERS TOOK ON LOCAL RINO SUPPORTERS OF CRIST
The local political fossil Neal
Gruters stood by his Conservative principals in 2010 and took on RINO Republicans Waechter, Robinson, Neal and other prominent local RINO Republicans when he backed Rubio in his successful run for the U. S Senate against Crist, who ran as a Independent.
For example, Neal and his RINO cronies backed now Democrat Crist when Crist left the Republican party and took on Rubio as an Independent candidate in 2010.
Other prominent RINO Republicans, Gruters made fools of for supporting Crist defection from the GOP were former state Sens. John McKay and Lisa Carlton, Sarasota County commissioners Jon Thaxton and Shannon Staub, School Board member Caroline Zucker, and major Republican donors such as beer distributor John Saputo, Henry Rodriguez, Gary Kompothecras and Sarasota County Sheriff, Tom Knight.
Gruters also had another winner in 2010 when unlike the local Neal machine Gruters was a very early supporter with the Rick Scott's campaign for Florida Governor.
That all changed when Gruters cross the line from being able to lead the local Conservative wing of the local Republican Party (REC) to a dominate role in Sarasota politics when he became just another lackey in the Neal political machine lackey during the 2015 City of Sarasota elections. Gruters sold out two fellow Republicans running for the City of Sarasota City Commission, Eileen Normile and Stan Zimmerman.
FLORIDA STATE SENATOR AND CHAIR OF RPOF GRUTERS FAILED HIS PROFILE IN COURAGE TEST IN 2015 CITY ELECTION
Barfield's federal prison mug shot
Gruters strong principals, political independence and integrity all began to change when Gruters got a visited from the 68 convicted felon and President of Florida ACLU, Michael Barfield. Barfield informed the Chairman of local Republican Party to back off supporting Republican candidates Normile and Zimmerman for the Sarasota City Commission.
BARFIELD: "NORMILE AND ZIMMERMAN NOT RIGHT KIND OF REPUBLICANS"
Barfield told Gruters that Normile and Zimmerman were not the "right kind" of Republican candidates and the Democrats candidates, Liz Alpert and Eddie were the "right kind" of DINO establishment candidates. Normile and Zimmerman being grassroots Republicans and anti "Pay to Play" developers were not considered the "right kind" of Republicans.
BARFIELD'S DINO/RINO DESIRE TO TAKE OUT CHAPMAN
Chapman
In addition, Normile and Zimmerman happened to be part of a trio who voted to pay the legal fees for defending Sarasota City Commissioner Susan Chapman against the frivolous Sunshine lawsuit filed against her by Barfield and his legal partner, Andrea Mogensen.
BARFIELD A "PUPPET FOR DEVELOPERS"
Caragiulo/Barbetta/Barfield
Barfield had been described by the late, long time political activist in Venice and former President of the Venice Taxpayers League Herb Levine as, "the puppet of developers." Barfield had joined in a political alliance with a failed opera singer turned Sarasota County Commissioner, Paul "Fredo"Caragiulo and another Sarasota County Commissioner, Joe "Benderson" Barbetta to take out Chapman. The trio were obsessed to take down the sitting Sarasota City Commissioner Chapman, both politically and financially.
The trio along with local "Pay to Play" gangster developers hated Chapman with a passion. They believed Chapman was some sort of Svengali type of individual, who with evil intent, dominates, manipulates, and controls neighborhood activists.
Chapman's legal bills were over a $100,000 and were escalating rapidly, as Barfield and his assistant, Mogensen were keeping the "meter running." With Normile an Zimmerman replaced by their opponents, the trio had the votes on the Commission to destroy Chapman by forcing her to pay her own legal fees.
GRUTERS "THREATENED"
When Gruters refused Barfield's "request", Gruters sent this email to Normile:
Date: Sun, Apr 19, 2015 at 6:20 PM
Subject: Fyi
I was threatened today by the supporters of your opponents. Not sure how they are going to retaliate but they made very clear to a intermediary that there will be consequences. Please continue to fight so we win. Joe
ALEGATIONS ON CRAIGS LIST DEFAMING GRUTERS AND CIARAVELLA
After Gruters continued supporting Normile and Zimerman on 4/20/15 allegations were placed on Craigs List that Gruters and a close friend and political associate, Chad Ciaravella were engaged in scandalous activities. Ciaravella was very active in state and local Republican politics, especially with Young Republicans in the past with Gruters.
The accusation no doubt were motivated by the fact that Gruters was going to continue supporting Normile and Zimmerman.
GRUTERS ASK BERUFF AND ROBINSON BERUFF TO TAKE DOWN SLANDER
A few days later at a fund raiser at the Field Club for Sarasota County Commissioner Mike Moran, Gruters ask Beruff and Robinson to take down the Craigs List scadelous remarks.
Beruff
Gruters threw these two incumbent Republican City Commissioners "under the bus"
"SWITZERLAND JOE" THREW FELLOW REPUBLICANS UNDER BUS
On 4/23/15 the scandalous activities between Gruters and Ciaravella were taken down. Shortly after that Normile and Zimmerman reported Gruters support of their campaigns promised by Gruters were minimized.
Gruters refused to disclose the names of those who blackmailed him to this reporter or did little in working to get Normile and Zimmerman elected, after he was viciously attacked on social media.
MILLER ALLEGES ROBINSON BEHIND GRUTERS SMEAR
Miller
According to Normile, during a conversation with Gruters and his close political associate, Jamie Miller; Miller stated he believed that Eric Robinson was responsible for the Craig's list items blackmailing Gruters in 2015.
GRUTERS FORMER ADVERSARIES RUN GRUTERS STATE REP RACE
GRUTERS BECOMES "SWITZERLAND JOE"
Shortly after Normile and Zimmerman were defeated. Gruters became actively involved in running for the Florida House of Representative and hired Robinson as his treasurer and fellow Robinson political operative, Mac Stevenson as his political operative. When asked why hiring his past local political adversaries, Gruters replied -"I have become like Switzerland."
NEAL LOCAL REPUBLICAN ESTABLISHMENT JUMPS IN BED WITH "SWITZERLAND JOE "
"Switzerland Joe" Gruters shortly after throwing Normile and Zimmerman under the bus, "Switzerland Joe" had a massive fundraiser in Lakewood Ranch. This fundraiser occured after hiring Robinson, Stevenson and few other Neal operatives. The local Neal Republican establishment have been supporting "Switzerland Joe" ever since that fund raiser in Lakewood Ranch.
"SWITZERLAN JOE" TURNED OVER LOCAL REC TO BRILL AND THE LOCAL REPUBLICAN ESTABLISHMENT
As Gruters moved on to Tallahassee, Gruters turned over to Jack Brill the daily operations of the local Sarasota Republican Executive Committee (REC). Brill moved away from a former strong REC grassroots organization into a REC controlled by the local Republican
establishment headed by the former 12 year Florida Democrta State Senator Neal and
his establishmment cronies.
SWITZERLAND JOE" SOLD OUT HIS PRINCIPALS
Gruters has allowed his personal ambitions to become a Florida State Representative, Florida
State Senator and now Chairman of the Florida Republican Party to become just another Neal/Beruff/Rex Jensen/Randy Benderson local Republucan establishment flunky.
Selling out and becoming a political flunky is a common idiomatic pejorative expression for the compromising of a person's integrity, morality, and principles in exchange for personal gain. Claiming to adhere to one ideology, only to follow these claims up with actions
contradicting his stated position is selling out.
NEXT
FLORIDA STATE SENATOR AND CHAIR OF RPOF "SWITZERLAND JOE" GRUTERS IS CONNECTED WITH TWO OF MOST CORRUPT DEVIOUS DARK PAC CAMPAIGN MONEY MEN IN FLORIDA
Jon Susce
Working To Keep Us Informed About What They Don't Want you to Know.
The Sarasota Phoenix team is the last guardian in Sarasota of the vital fourth estate. While the rest of local, mainstream media outlets have been overtaken by profit driven directives, the Sarasota Phoenix is the only local media outlet laying bare for all to see how Sarasota local government is operating like a Latin American Junta.
"Jon uncovers local corruption you will read about nowhere else. Vital and important information." Dan Lobeck
"Jon is easily the very best investagative reporter to ever work this market." Don Schilke
"Jon follows local politics and reports on like nobody else in town." Charles Senf