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It’s been dubbed the Tallahassee Taj-Mahal, a 112-thousand, 48-million dollar building to house Florida’s First District Court of Appeal. Today former state lawmaker Loranne Ausley used the courthouse as a backdrop to launch her campaign for Chief Financial Officer. Ausley voted against the building and says if she’s elected she’ll stop state funded projects like the Tallahassee Taj-Mahal from moving forward.

“The building I am standing in front of is a perfect example of everything that is wrong and broken with Tallahassee. 48 million dollars complete with 60 inch flat screen TVs and granite countertops. It’s outrageous. It’s embarrassing and it’s a product of politicians like Jeff Atwater and Ray Sansom refusing to let transparency and accountability into the budgeting process,” said Ausley.

Ausley is taking on Senate President Jeff Atwater. Atwater was not the Senate President in 2007 when the project was slipped into a transportation bill on the last day of session, but Governor Charlie Crist was in office and he signed off on the deal.

“I think the money could have been spent more wisely. I think any thinking person would feel that way,” said Crist.

Crist says he doesn’t remember the project or whether or not he was asked to veto it.