Free Republic

Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., has endorsed businessman Curt Clawson with days to go in the Republican primary race to replace former Florida Rep. Trey Radel. Clawson’s announcement of the endorsement offered no statement from the retiring congresswoman, but the candidate heaped praise on Bachmann, the founder of the House Tea Party Caucus.

Former Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska will be in Southwest Florida on Thursday for a fundraising event with Florida Senate Majority Leader Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Fort Myers, who is running in the Republican primary to replace former U.S. Rep. Trey Radel, R-Fla., in Congress. “Excited to announce that Sarah Palin is coming to Southwest Florida this week to join me on the campaign trail,” Benacquisto announced on Monday. But tea party leaders in the district backing Curt Clawson in the primary are urging Palin to reconsider her endorsement. Jack Tymann of the Naples Tea Party, Kathy Jones of the Lee County...

A spokesman for U.S. Rep. Trey Radel of Florida says the congressman will resign after pleading guilty to cocaine-possession charges last year. Dave Natonski says the freshman republican will step down Monday and will send a letter to House Speaker John Boehner. Politico first reported the upcoming resignation. On Nov. 20, Radel pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of cocaine possession and was sentenced to a year of probation. He admitted to purchasing 3.5 grams of cocaine from an undercover officer Oct. 29 in Washington. Several GOP leaders had asked him to resign. But Radel had pledged to stay in...

A Florida congressman who pleaded guilty to cocaine-possession charges last year is returning to Congress. Republican Rep. Trey Radel says he's looking forward to representing his southwest Florida constituents in Washington again after taking a leave of absence and undergoing treatment in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center.

In a yet-to-be-be published op-ed, Congressman Trey Radel writes at length for the first time since leaving rehab, expressing how he is “still remorseful” and “profoundly sorry.”Radel, who was arrested last month for purchasing $250 of cocaine during an undercover sting, ended his month long, self imposed, hiatus from social media on Wednesday by posting a thank you to his supporters on Twitter. This op-ed, shared with close associates of the Southwest Florida lawmaker with the note ”I pasted in an oped I wrote for the local papers below,” is Radel’s most forthcoming expression of contrition to date.

Trey Radel owes Big Government. Big time. Like other tea partiers, the freshman political newcomer from Fort Myers went to Washington to keep government out of our lives and to fight government spending. At the same time, Radel and some buddies were snorting cocaine. In his private tea parties, the question of one-lump-or-two of sugar had a whole different meaning. On Oct. 29, the two parties collided. Radel was busted after an undercover agent in Washington sold him what’s known as an “8 Ball,” an eighth of an ounce of cocaine, or 3.5 grams for $260. So time to rail...

Ed Schultz knows nothing about misdemeanor sentencing guidelines . . . Playing the race card over the arrest and conviction of Republican congressman Trey Radel for cocaine possession, Ed Schultz has claimed there is "no doubt" that an African-American who committed the same crime "would be facing jail time." Really? Radel's crime was a misdemeanor, and he was a first-time offender. It would be highly unusual for anyone pleading guilty under such circumstances to be sentenced to jail time. DC jails could not possibly hold all the low-level misdemeanor drug offenders. View the video here.

Rep. Trey Radel, a freshman Republican from Florida, was arrested on Oct. 29 for possession of cocaine in the District of Columbia, according to D.C. Superior Court documents. Radel, 37, was charged with misdemeanor possession of cocaine in D.C. Superior Court on Tuesday. He is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday. Radel faces a maximum of 180 days in jail, as well as a possible fine up to $1,000. The U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Columbia declined to comment on Radel’s arrest or criminal cases. The Florida Republican is a former journalist, TV anchor and radio talk-show...

A Florida congressman has introduced a bill that would eliminate one of the U.S. government's most unusual institutions: the Raisin Administrative Committee, keepers of the national raisin reserve. The raisin reserve is a program established by the Truman administration which gives the Agriculture Department a heavy-handed power to meddle in the supply and demand for raisins. To limit the supply of raisins on the market, the government can simply take tons of raisins from the farmers who grew them. Sometimes, the farmers don't get paid a cent in return. On Thursday, Rep. Trey Radel (R)introduced a bill that would eliminate...

A group members of the U.S. House of Representatives have sent Secretary of the Department of Human and Health Services, Kathleen Sebelius, a letter questioning her reported actions of soliciting donations from non-profit organizations that are “directly implementing” Obamacare. Florida’s Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Jeff Miller, Bill Posey and Trey Radel are among the 26 members of Congress who penned their signatures on the letter to Sebelius. The letter asks Secretary Sebelius if she indeed made the calls,how many did she make? In addition, Sebelius was asked if Department resources were used, and how much money was raised?