An ethics panel found probable cause Friday that state Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher violated ethics laws on four occasions when he traded stocks of four companies that were either regulated by or had contracts with his office.

The Florida Commission on Ethics also found that at least a dozen other accusations were without merit, including that Gallagher used confidential government information to buy and sell stocks in other companies.

Gallagher's gubernatorial campaign applauded the favorable rulings, saying they vindicated him of accusations of misusing his office, and downplayed the probable-cause findings as minor and even questionable technical violations, although the campaign said it would not challenge them.

"We are extraordinarily happy that the commission has agreed that Tom did not misuse his office and that he did not exercise preferential treatment on behalf of any companies," Gallagher's campaign manager, Brett Doster, told reporters Friday.

Only in Florida would a finding like this be termed “favorable.”

Supporters of Attorney General Charlie Crist, who has a significant lead over Gallagher in the GOP primary race, said it was yet another blow to Gallagher's campaign, one in which he also has admitted cheating on his former wife and smoking marijuana more than 20 years ago.

Well, that certainly settles it for me. The man’s a “serial adulterer” and a “drug addict” eh? This comes from the State Attorney General, who saw no problem with his taking financial donations from members of the Florida Elections Commission and using the private airplane of a corporate supporter during the 2002 election.

Nothing to see here. Move along, move along.