Florida GOP Police Blotter #7: Hollywood city commissioner removed from office after fraud conviction

Finding criminal behavior among Florida Republicans really is like shooting fish in a barrel. It's almost unfair. Except it's not.

Today's addition to the Florida GOP Police Blotter is disgraced and convicted Hollywood city commissioner Keith Wasserstrom, who was removed from office this morning by Governor Charlie Crist.

Wasserstrom was found guilty of two counts of official misconduct Sept. 12 for not fully disclosing his relationship with a sludge-processing firm that eventually won a city contract largely because of his help.

Wasserstrom, 40, is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 2. As a first-time offender, he could get probation, up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine for each of the two counts.

The Broward-Palm Beach New Times has been all over the Wasserstrom story for months now, if not years. And as they recently pointed out, despite the best efforts of the Sun-Sentinel and the Herald, the judge in the latest trial, and even a higher power, Wasserstrom was convicted anyway.

But you had to think that even the jury could see through the farce [defense attorney Milton] Hirsch was creating when he said in his opening statement that Wasserstrom was doing "God's work" for the sewage company. To bolster the obscene idea that the commissioner was on a mission from God, Wasserstrom wore a yarmulke on his head the entire trial. And to make sure the jury got a load of what a family man he is, the former commissioner yanked his kids out of school and made them attend the first day of trial.

"I'm bored," his young son said at one point. "I'd rather be in school."

And so Wasserstrom, who has donated to Republicans in the past*, is out of office and likely headed to jail. Welcome to the Florida GOP Police Blotter, Keith. You're in fine company indeed.

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* Oddly, he also endorsed Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) for Congress in 2006. But, then again, so did Jim Naugle, so that's not saying much ...