Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersJanuary 2, 2019

As the White Stripes pound out the intro to their 2007 song “Icky Thump,” a voice emerges, all FM-DJ smooth: “Welcome everybody; this is Rock and Politics on KQ 93.7 FM. I’m your host, ‘The Rockin’ Congressman’ Darren Soto. Thanks for listenin’, and thanks for comin’ to rock!” Yes, that’s Democratic U.S. Rep. Darren Soto […]

Jim RosicaDecember 11, 2018

New and returning lawmakers had their mandatory ethics training on Tuesday, covering everything from the obvious — don’t take a bribe — to the nuanced — if you’re given a bottle of water, pay for it. House General Counsel Adam Tanenbaum presented to his members in the morning, while Senate General Counsel Jeremiah Hawkes gave […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorOctober 11, 2018

A Tampa lawyer filed a complaint with the Florida Commission on Ethics against Florida State Sen. Dana Young alleging she violated state law and Senate rules by supporting legislation that benefits her financially. Milton Toro Marquez, a lawyer with Acevedo Law Firm in Tampa, alleges Young’s support for three bills deregulating the craft beer industry directly […]

Danny McAuliffeApril 16, 2018

The ‘revolving door’ of elected officials and lobbyists could soon get jammed. A proposed constitutional amendment that would mandate a six-year lobbying ban on all elected officeholders, agency heads and judges cleared the Florida Constitution Revision Commission in a 30-4 vote on Monday. If approved by 60 percent of voters in November, public officers will […]

Gary FineoutApril 18, 2017

State House Speaker Richard Corcoran says a push to give Florida some of the toughest ethics laws in the nation is dead for this year’s session, and he’s blaming Senate Republicans for showing “zero interest.” The Land O’Lakes Republican pushed to enact several far-reaching proposals, including one that would ban legislators and elected officials from […]

Associated PressMarch 20, 2017

Cementing her role as a powerful White House influence, Ivanka Trump is working out of a West Wing office and will get access to classified information, though she is not technically serving as a government employee, according to an attorney for the first daughter. Since President Donald Trump took office, his eldest daughter has been […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 24, 2017

A new House ethics panel on Tuesday unanimously approved two measures as part of Speaker Richard Corcoran’s new “culture of transparency.” One (PIE 17-01) would increase the ban on former lawmakers and statewide elected officers lobbying their colleagues after leaving office from two years to six years by way of a constitutional amendment. The other […]

Associated PressNovember 16, 2016

President-elect Donald Trump‘s campaign promise to “drain the swamp” of Washington might make it difficult for him to fill all the jobs in his administration. Trump’s ethics plan would ban all executive-branch officials from lobbying for five years after leaving their government jobs — one of several policies aimed at curbing the influence of lobbyists. […]

Ryan RayMay 25, 2016

The internecine infighting between Democratic U.S. Reps. Patrick Murphy and Alan Grayson continued Wednesday amid their heated battle for the open Senate seat vacated by Sen. Marco Rubio. Murphy has now circulated a media report accusing Grayson of padding his fundraising figures by using temporary personal loans to his campaign account, then paying himself back using the same pool of contributions. […]

Associated PressMay 5, 2016

A Miami-area mayor won his bid to pay a $4,000 ethics fine with pennies and nickels, but only after he agreed to count and box the coins himself. El Nuevo Herald reports that Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez on Wednesday deposited 140 boxes of pennies, totaling $3,500, and five boxes of nickels, totaling $500, at a South […]

Tag: ethics

‘Rockin’ Congressman’ Darren Soto aims to rock immigration, voter rights

‘You can’t strike fear‘: Lawmakers gets ethics tips

Tampa lawyer accuses Dana Young of profiting from beer bills

Voters will decide on lobbying reform this fall

House Speaker: Push for tougher ethics laws dead

First daughter Ivanka Trump gets West Wing office

House panel OK’s lobbying ban extensions, won’t impeach judge

Donald Trump’s lobbyist ban complicates administration hiring

Report: Alan Grayson padded fundraising with temporary loans

Political change: Mayor forced to count pennies to pay fine