Florida Gov. Bush Hires Accused Writer

[Judi Lynn]

Florida Gov. Bush Hires Accused Writer

By Associated Press

January 7, 2005, 11:36 PM EST


TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Two days after Gov. Jeb Bush fired a state official over sexual harassment allegations, his office confirmed it had hired a former newspaper editorial writer who left his job following allegations of plagiarism and sex harassment.

Lloyd Brown announced his retirement as editorial page editor of The Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville on Nov. 2 after the newspaper said a review found instances of plagiarism in some of editorials he had written.

The review came after a former Times-Union editorial writer, Billee Bussard, wrote an article in a Jacksonville weekly alleging Brown looked at pornography over the Internet in the paper's office, and had sexual telephone conversations while looking at the porn at work.

Bush spokesman Jacob DiPietre told New York Times Regional Newspaper Group that Brown was hired Dec. 20 for $80,000 a year. He will write speeches, letters to the editor and other material for Bush.
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