Gov. Bush's Speechwriter Resigns, Citing Newspaper Controversy

By: (AP) Gov. Jeb Bush's speechwriter resigned Tuesday, citing news reports detailing allegations of plagiarism and sexual harassment while he worked at a newspaper.

Lloyd Brown, 65, was hired by Bush in December about a month after he retired as the editorial page editor of The Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville. While at the newspaper, an internal review found instances of plagiarism in editorials he had written, and he left the paper.

That 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 Times-Union's office and held sexual conversations on the telephone while viewing the porn.

After articles about that controversy appeared recently (in E&P and other publications), Bush's office said the governor was aware of the charges and was untroubled by them.

Brown wrote in a resignation letter that he did not want "sensationalized news stories using accusations made against me years ago" to distract Bush from "the important work he is doing on behalf of the people of Florida."

His resignation from the job, which paid $80,000 a year, is effective Jan. 31.

"It's unfortunate," said Bush's spokesman Jacob DiPietre. "This was a difficult time for Lloyd and his family. We accepted his resignation and we wish him well."