In the ongoing saga of outspoken Rep. Alan Grayson, who is running for Senate, the Florida Democrat reportedly called police because his wife used his credit card.
Court documents from Grayson's high-conflict divorce reveal that he tried to have his estranged wife, Lolita Grayson, arrested over alleged credit card fraud,
Politico is reporting.
"The husband has denied the wife access to marital assets or funds that could be used to pay for attorney’s fees and costs, even going to the extent of filing a criminal complaint against the wife for her alleged use of a marital credit card account," according to a motion filed by Lolita Grayson's attorney, in a request for attorneys' fees from Alan Grayson.
In previous court filings, Lolita Grayson has described her estranged husband, who is a trial lawyer worth millions, as so stingy with his money that she and her children were forced to go on food stamps. She has also said she didn't have enough money to do basic repairs on the family's home in Orlando, which included a leaky septic tank and broken windows.
Not long before Grayson was re-elected as a congressman for the third time in October, images of the home with the need for repairs, including a mold problem,
appeared on local television stations.
Grayson is not paying Lolita Grayson any spousal support because of apparent bigamy charges, and therefore she isn't entitled to the money, he says.
After the two parties agreed to have the marriage annulled, Lolita Grayson decided to pull out of the agreement Monday. When asked by reporters about the news, the Florida lawmaker took a shot at his estranged wife over the matter.
"I'll sum it up for you: gold diggers gotta dig. That's all I'm gonna say. We had an agreement. She's trying to renege,"
he told an Orlando TV station.
"Divorce is never fun, but this one sounds particularly ugly — not the type of backdrop you want when launching a U.S. Senate campaign,"
The Washington Post wrote.
"Grayson, who worked in law before politics, could have said a lot more, but he had already said too much."
Lolita Grayson reportedly made charges on a credit card last year that Grayson had left behind that are largely for typical living expenses such as groceries and fuel, Politico is reporting.
Alan Grayson called police in January about the matter, even though he allegedly knew about the charges in October.
"When asked why Alan did not report this incident to the police back in October, he stated he did not know he had to," Deputy Carlos Cuevas wrote in his police report. "Alan wishes to press charges and testify in court if necessary."
Due to the nature of the separation, the deputy never followed through on the charges.
Lolita Grayson was granted a temporary restraining order in March 2014 after claims of physical abuse against her. However, Grayson denies the allegations.
Grayson wants to replace Sen. Marco Rubio, who is running for president, even though the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee says it plans to endorse Rep. Patrick Murphy,
Politico reported earlier this month.
Besides his marital problems, Grayson is also notorious for being sometimes inappropriately outspoken. He reportedly swore at a reporter in early May, called a lobbyist a "K Street whore," said the tea party was like the Ku Klux Klan, and called his conservative Christian opponent part of the Taliban.
He also reportedly swore at DSCC Chairman Jon Tester when he was told that the group wouldn't endorse his Senate campaign.
The National Journal contends that the "outspoken, acerbic" Grayson could cost the Democrats a chance at winning the Senate seat in Florida if he manages to capture his party's nomination.