The Florida Commission on Ethics has started to impose $25-a-day fines on 632 current and former state and local elected officials, government staff and appointed officials for failing to submit financial disclosure forms by July 1.

The individuals named in a report by watchdog Integrity Florida include term-limited state Sen. Gary Siplin, D-Orlando, judicial nominating commission members Joseph Lopez, John Mariani, Nilda Pedrosa and R. Kyle Gavin , and Amy Graham, a former spokeswoman for Gov. Rick Scott.

Graham took a job with Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign in May.

The fines grow for 60 days, with a $1,500 cap, starting Sept. 5.

See the list in the attachment below of those who had not filed as of Sept. 5.

Integrity Florida, which has made improving the state’s financial disclosure process one of its prime objectives, noted that in 2011 the Florida Commission on Ethics had a 99 percent collection rate, with late filings coming from 361 out of 37,686 officials required to file.

This year the collection rate was 98 percent from among the 37,532 Florida public officials and employees required to file financial disclosure forms.

Integrity Florida noted that the commission or county supervisor of elections mailed certified notices to 4,284 late filers on July 31, at a cost of more than $20,000.

For an additional $740, an additional 2,313 late filers were sent postcard reminders on Aug. 10.

The number of late filers dwindled to 1,240 on Aug. 29.



Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.