The Miami Herald reports that the Republican Party of Florida has only $54,000 of cash on hand, compared to about $1.6 million for the state Democratic party.

Katie Gordon Betta, the RPOF spokesman blames it on Jim Greer, former party chairman, and the need to staff up for the general election. “We’re trying to pay down the debt we’ve inherited and trying to get our victory offices ready to go,’’ she said.

Meanwhile, Rick Scott, a self-funded GOP gubernatorial candidate, has wasted no time turning the news into a press release denouncing his opponent, Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum.

“Today it was confirmed that Bill McCollum has been using the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) as his own personal piggy bank at the expense of Marco Rubio and down ballot candidates in the general election,” reads the Scott release. “The RPOF’s latest federal campaign finance account, which funds get-out-the vote efforts, voter registration drives and staff salaries has dwindled to less than $54,000 while Bill McCollum’s insider friends and Tallahassee powerbrokers at RPOF have funneled nearly $4 million dollars to Bill McCollum in a hotly contested primary, $750,000 of that coming just last week.”