You have to say this about Florida: the Republican leadership is not deterred by the theft of public funds. No matter how many charter school scandals are exposed, no matter how many charter leaders are convicted of theft, Florida continues to pour money into charters.
In the latest scandal, a charter leader was convicted of misappropriatfing nearly $400,000.
MIAMI — A former Florida charter school president was found guilty of embezzling nearly $400,000 by diverting school funds to pay for personal items, federal prosecutors said.
According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Jimika Williams was convicted Wednesday by a federal jury on two counts of theft of federal funds and 18 counts of wire fraud after a trial in Miami that lasted more than a week.
Williams was the president of Advancement of Education in Scholars Corporation, a Florida nonprofit organization that operated Paramount Charter School in Sunrise, the Sun-Sentinel reported. The school closed permanently in 2017, the newspaper reported. Williams was also the president of Florida Scholars Educational Services Corporation, prosecutors said.https://d-3952898977172872826.ampproject.net/2203101844000/frame.html
The school had received funding through Title 1, which is paid to a school if more than 50% of the students are eligible for free or reduced-cost lunches, according to the news release. The charter school also received state funding, which was paid through the School Board of Broward County.
Prosecutors charged that Williams transferred funds from the school’s bank account to an FSESC account, according to the news release.
The news release stated that Williams “unlawfully enriched” herself between 2015 and June 2107 by transferring $389,857 to use for personal purchases, including payments for a vehicle, a private school and other personal expenses.
The cash was also used to pay rent at a lavish Davie home, the Sun-Sentinel reported.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Proof that the Republican Party is now the Kleptocracy Party. Let’s make that name change official.
Definition of kleptocracy
government by those who seek chiefly status and personal gain at the expense of the governed
Lloyd,
You are SO RIGHT! Thank you for posting your comments.
Charters are SO BAD. There is no accountability for many charter schools and also vouchers. It’s truly the BIG STEAL.
The Corporate DEMS were SO WRONG … as usual. Of course, so are the rePUG-ni-CONS…emphasis on PUG and CONS.
Kleptocracy, synonyms. Putinism and its toenail clipping, Trumpism.
GOP definitely needs to officially change the G to represent the word greedy
How times change…Honesty used to be the best policy. Today, it is DIShonesty that gets you places.
Honesty is STILL the best policy. That charter leader is going to prison.
Also, honest people sleep better at night.
Goppers exhibit a not-so-secret sympathy with bunko artists, cons, grifters and anyone else who can fleece the public for the really big bucks … as long as their crooks of choice pass a hefty percentage their way.
Saddest is when the GOP fleeces the people who believe their b.s. and vote for them.
Sad but not the saddest — they got just deserts. Sadder still is the fate of the rest who did not ask for it and have to suffer all the same.
400K? Thats all? The amature! Hear, let me tell y’all how its dun. –B.S., of Bob n Darlenes Real Good Flor-uh-duh Schools
DeSantis is sending HB 1467 to the legislature which he claims is the “strongest curriculum transparency legislation in the country.” One provision of the law would give parents and community members increased access to selecting and removing curricula materials and library books. Basically, any old nut job with an ax to grind will be given free pass to harass the local public schools.
The micromanagement of and loss of autonomy among teachers are already so bad that it’s difficult to understand why anyone would want to teach now. More red meat from DeSatan to his base base in furtherance of his ambition to assume the Orange Mantle and the Offal Office.
DeSantis is a fascist at heart
I really have to figure out who I can connect with to get some convictions in Nevada. Our politicians, casino billionaires, and mayors are taking the education cash and it disappears. We have enough problems with the bottom dwelling scammers leaving other states to come scam ours.
We have got some serious sticky fingers in Nevada.
For-profit Academica: Doral Academy
Cactus – 76
Fire Mesa – 97
Pebble – 90
Red Rock – 101
Saddle – 88
Total – 452
PPP Amount – $ 4,610,000
$10,991 per staff member.
Academica Lobbyist and Nevada Assembly/Chair of Assembly Education. – Shannon Bilbray-Axelrod paves the way for her sister’s for-profit education business the Dorals. And her child went there.
Did each staff member get $10,000 in payroll protection?
How was this for-profit business using the Payroll Protection Plan money?
Can someone ask Carrie Buck if she gave this money to Pinecrest Staff?
Vegas Pinecrest –
Horizon – 71 Staff
Inspirada – 95 Staff
St. Rose – 90 Staff
Pre-Kinder – 2?
Cadence – 184 staff
Sloan Canyon- 180 staff
Total: 620
$4,590,000 PPP Gift
$7,403 per staff member. Those dollars all went to staff to cover payroll right?
What was the almost $5 million spent on?
How about the extra safety money?
And the grants?
Nevada Charters got quadruple the money given to public schools or small businesses. What did they do with it?
Can that be published somewhere?