Ryan Ray
As reported this week in Florida Politics, Pete Antonacci — former general counsel for Gov. Rick Scott — is back in the influence business at his former firm GrayRobinson.
Last week, Antonacci’s roster of clients were relatively inoffensive, but not so as of Thursday with the registration of his fourth client. Antonacci has signed up private prison giant Corizon, a company with a great deal of sensitive business with the state.
New Department of Corrections Secretary Julie Jones is looking to overhaul exactly the kinds of facilities run by Corizon amid reports of prisoner abuse and neglect across the state.
Jones is the second straight DOC chief to take an interest in the company: Former Secretary Mike Crews — very much in the news these days — awarded Corizon a boost in its contract this past year and has now been critical in legislative hearings of Florida’s prisons, particularly the for-profit variety.
Doubtless, firms that contract with the state of Florida to provide correctional services could certainly use a PR push right about now.
