Former Fla. GOP chairman lobbying for high-speed rail

A former chairman of the Florida Republican Party is lobbying for a company that wants the high-speed rail project that Gov. Rick Scott (R) opposes.

Al Cardenas, former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, has registered to lobby in Washington for Florida High Speed Rail LLC, according to disclosure documents. The company was created in anticipation of bidding on the high-speed rail line proposed to connect Tampa to Orlando.

Cardenas is now chairman of the American Conservative Union (ACU), based in Alexandria, Va.

The lobbying work puts Cardenas at odds with Scott, who last month turned down more than $2.4 billion in federal grants for the high-speed rail project.

Scott recently won dismissal of a lawsuit brought by Florida state lawmakers that tried to force him to accept the rail cash.

Cardenas was a co-chairman of the gubernatorial campaign of Republican Bill McCollum during the primaries last year, though he endorsed Scott during the general election.

A spokeswoman for Cardenas said he was in Tallahassee Monday for the beginning of the state's legislative session.

Cardenas was criticized after being elected ACU chairman by some conservatives for his support of high-speed rail in Florida. Cardenas ran the Florida GOP under former Gov. Jeb Bush, who also opposes the train and led a successful campaign to get it removed from the Florida constitution in 2004.

Rail backers had hoped the promise of federal money would be enough to revive the project, until Scott said no this year.