BY MICHAEL C. BENDER TALLAHASSEE — The Governor’s Office released 87 pages of public records Friday showing e-mails Gov. Rick Scott sent and received in the final days of his transition into office that have yet to be made public. The documents, which the Governor’s Office has had for nearly six months, include about 65…
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Naked Politics Blog Attorney General Pam Bondi said it was “indefensible” that the state gave state Sen. Mike Fasano a $10,000 estimate for collecting public records regarding Florida pension investments. “I’ve lost sleep over this bill,” Bondi told State Board of Administration Director Ash Williams. Read more here.
EDITORIAL Charging a fortune for public records is a clear attempt to evade Florida’s sunshine laws and conceal public business from public view. That seems to be the motivation behind an invoice sent to state Sen. Mike Fasano for more than $10,000 for public records from Ash Williams, executive director of the state agency that…
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BY MICHAEL C. BENDER, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau TALLAHASSEE — For a second time, e-mails to and from Florida Gov. Rick Scott have been deleted in possible violation of state law. Scott’s team acknowledged in August, months after a Times/Herald request for transition records, that dozens of e-mail accounts had been deleted from a private computer server…
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Naked Politics Blog That’s according to a study by the Sunshine Review, a nonprofit organization that analyzes state and local government websites using a transparency checklist. The group recognized several local entities for having outstanding government websites that provide information on budgets, elected officials, open meetings laws and taxes, among other criteria. Read more here.
BY PAT RICE, NEWS-JOURNAL EDITOR Consider this column your personal invitation to attend an event where you can learn about Florida’s Sunshine Laws, and how you can use those laws to ensure that you know how local and state government conducts the taxpayers’ business. The “2011 Sunshine Seminar” is sponsored by The First Amendment Foundation…
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BY MARCIA HEROUX POUNDS Secrecy is often a part of negotiating for a new headquarters or an expansion of a company in Florida. But even when the deal is done, Florida’s economic development agency often keeps the employer’s identity from the public for 12 months. Sometimes, regional agencies announce the newly relocating company and jobs…
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BY MICHAEL C. BENDER TALLAHASSEE The e-mail accounts of Rick Scott and most of the governor-elect’s transition team were deleted soon after he took office, potentially erasing public records that state law requires be kept. Scott’s team acknowledged for the first time this week that the private company providing e-mail service deleted the records as…
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EDITORIAL Some elected officials and government employees on the Treasure Coast could use a refresher course in Florida’s Government-in-the-Sunshine Law. Need proof? Read more here.
BY AARON SHAROCKMAN, Times Staff Writer Facing criticisms about the handling of the state’s $130 billion investment portfolio, the executive director and chief investment officer of the State Board of Administration tried to reassure Gov. Rick Scott that everything is fine. The back-and-forth between SBA executive director Ash Williams and Scott came Tuesday during a…
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