Harvard finds Florida among most politically corrupt states in U.S.

poliotical corrupt

Harvard Law School’s Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics is out with a fascinating new report measuring legal and illegal corruption in American states, and Florida does not fare particularly well.

The deep dive is here, but here’s the short take:

  • Illegal corruption is “moderately common” in Florida’s executive branch.
  • Illegal corruption is “very common” in the state’s legislative branch.
  • No state has a high ranking for illegal corruption in its judiciary.

When it comes to “legal” corruption, Florida falls into the “very common” category in both the executive and legislative branches.

Florida is also listed as one of America’s most corrupt states, along with Arizona, California, Kentucky, Alabama, Illinois, New Jersey, Georgia, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Rhode Island, and Texas.

The Safra Center compiled its corruption rankings in part by surveying news reporters covering state politics across  the country, in addition to the investigative reporters covering issues related to corruption during the first half of 2014.

Image: The Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics
Image: The Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics

Melissa Ross

In addition to her work writing for Florida Politics, Melissa Ross also hosts and produces WJCT’s First Coast Connect, the Jacksonville NPR/PBS station’s flagship local call-in public affairs radio program. The show has won four national awards from Public Radio News Directors Inc. (PRNDI). First Coast Connect was also recognized in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014 as Best Local Radio Show by Folio Weekly’s “Best Of Jax” Readers Poll and Melissa has also been recognized as Folio Weekly’s Best Local Radio Personality. As executive producer of The 904: Shadow on the Sunshine State, Melissa and WJCT received an Emmy in the “Documentary” category at the 2011 Suncoast Emmy Awards. The 904 examined Jacksonville’s status as Florida’s murder capital. During her years in broadcast television, Melissa picked up three additional Emmys for news and feature reporting. Melissa came to WJCT in 2009 with 20 years of experience in broadcasting, including stints in Cincinnati, Chicago, Orlando and Jacksonville. Married with two children, Melissa is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism/Communications. She can be reached at [email protected].


13 comments

  • Randall Townsend

    September 25, 2015 at 6:50 pm

    See wwwJudgeoneforyourself.com
    For 17 years of Florida Corruption!

    • ronald angell

      February 14, 2016 at 6:29 pm

      Internet search Florida Gov Rick Scott 14 felonies. Abandoned houses of the elderly- you see it happen over and over and over- seems the local counties and a select group of corrupt people and contractors are taking over the houses of the dead- and make a living at doing this- flipping houses in florida is a huge criminal industry tied to the corrupt politicians that have their fingers in every aspect of the genocide pie- its gone on for decades and people have no idea- that when they move here it has gone on and is still taking place –

    • ReeNee Cummins

      April 9, 2016 at 3:43 pm

      With a man who spends time and money to attack an citizen for speaking her opinion, you think this will help?

  • Tim Heitz

    September 29, 2015 at 5:17 am

    All of us on Pine Island will become the victims of this corruption

  • Buddy Gorman

    October 1, 2015 at 11:14 am

    This from a school housed in Mass. a state that kept electing a man who caused the death of a young women. a drunk who embarrassed himself over and over. Maybe not “money corrupt” but surly power corrupt and just plain star struck.

  • Justice Pro

    October 1, 2015 at 11:52 am

    As a native Floridian I am very sad, with growth came greed and people who moved here who were out to wanting to make a fast buck, they did and continue too destroy my Floirda

  • ronald angell

    February 14, 2016 at 6:27 pm

    Internet search Florida Gov Rick Scott 14 felonies. Abandoned houses of the elderly- you see it happen over and over and over- seems the local counties and a select group of corrupt people and contractors are taking over the houses of the dead- and make a living at doing this- flipping houses in florida is a huge criminal industry tied to the corrupt politicians that have their fingers in every aspect of the genocide pie- its gone on for decades and people have no idea- that when they move here it has gone on and is still taking place –

  • ronald angell

    February 14, 2016 at 7:57 pm

    Florida health care fraud- two sets of books are kept in florida for almost everything.. The FBI and the USDOJ is in florida investigating the fraud and all those connected to the fraud and all those who are allowing it to happen. To aid and abet in a crime is a crime. The most corrupt state in the USA is Florida https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=argDJnnroeA

  • MAC FLORIDA

    February 17, 2016 at 12:20 am

    A CROOK SEATING AS GOVERNOR, TEACHING OTHER POLITICIANS…..HOW ITS DONE. HOPE THEY ALL END UP IN FEDERAL PRISON!

  • Joe

    April 16, 2016 at 9:41 pm

    The reason Fla. Is so high in govt is because nobody goes to jail. Crystal is from AG Florida office.

  • David Ropp

    April 28, 2016 at 5:08 pm

    David Christopher Ropp
    April 25, 2016
    David Christopher Ropp
    April 25, 2016
    David Ropp
    April 13, 2016
    This is a request for the investigation into the actions of Louise Wilhite-St. Laurent, with the DOH, and a Kathryn Whitson, Chairperson with the BON and any others that may have been involved in the improper handling of my case.

    Mrs. St. Laurent lied and withheld exculpatory evidence in her ERO and Administrative Complaint against me.

    Facts: 1. Claimed that I was unsafe to practice due to alcohol/Drug abuse and impairment.
    -Yet she failed to include the negative urine, hair, and nail drug test I took three days after my arrest on Jan 20, 2013 to prove I wasn’t impaired.
    -She failed to include the negative urine, hair, and nail drug test Dr. Sayonara Baez submitted me to for her examination.
    -She failed to include the negative urine drug test Dr. Aldo Morales submitted me to for his examination.
    -She failed to include the random 60+ negative urine drug tests from the Broward County Drug Court Program.
    2. Claimed a violation for drug possession
    -However I successfully completed Drug court program with a dismissal of all Drug charges May 27, 2014 after the May 22, 2014 ERO. I started the program May 23, 2013. This was the shortest time I could have completed the program in.
    -She lied in her documentation stating that my DUI was re-filed because I didn’t complete my drug court program in a timely manner.
    -She failed to include that after her initial suspicion that the filing of my DUI was a new DUI charge her investigator informed her on 2/19/2014, in a report, that it was not a new charge but a re-filing of the original charge.
    3. Claimed Misappropriation
    – Failed to include the supplemental police report of Vivian Acevedo. This documentation was part of the initial police report. Which states she inventoried the hydrocodone pill from my vehicle and not from my pocket. This documentation exposes the lie, in the police report, of arresting officers Troy Wilson and Kevin Gonzalez, that they found the said hydrocodone pill in my left pant pocket.

    Evidence I submitted after the ERO and Administrative Report
    -Negative Drug Test from Jan 23, 2013
    -Negative Drug Test from Dr. Sayonara Baez, Dr. Aldo Morales, and Dr. E.K
    -60+ Drug tests from the Broward County Drug Program
    -Court Dismissal of Drug Charges
    -Dismissal of all charges surrounding my DUI. Found Not guilty in a court of Law by a jury of my peers.
    -Supplemental report of Vivian Acevedo
    -Deposition of Vivian Acevedo

    The DOH dismissed their case and relinquished jurisdiction back to the BON
    The Probable cause panel dismissed their case against me
    Took me Three weeks, from Nov 22, 2014 decision of the probable cause panel to dismiss my case, to get the complaint removed from the DOH license verification site.
    I Never received a copy of the dismissals from the DOH or BON

    Sept 2015 I applied for an Illinois endorsement of my RN license
    A complaint was brought against me by the IDFPR (Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulations). I wasn’t sure why initially. They kept asking me to explain the May 22, 2014 ERO. They did give me my license after three months while pursuing their complaint against me.
    I missed out on a RN job opportunity after finding out that there was a discipline (libelous information) posted on the Nursys.com national endorsement site. An ERO is a temporary action. It is not considered a discipline or final order. I found out that the information was posted after my supposed dismissal Nov 21, 2014.
    I contacted the DOH and after speaking with Rena Coffield all negative information was removed from the site. I also requested the copies of the DOH and BON dismissals, which I received for the first time by email on Jan 2016. This aided in getting the IDFPR(Illinois department of financial and professional regulations) to drop their complaint against me.

    Mrs. Kathryn Whitson, BON chairperson withheld exculpatory evidence in her Dismissal order.
    -She failed to include the exact number of negative drug tests submitted into evidence.
    -She failed to include Vivian Acevedo’s supplemental report and deposition.
    -She failed to include the Court Dismissal of all drug charges.
    All of the evidence I provided, most of which they already had access to, proved that their claims against me were unsubstantiated and that there was never any probable cause for them to move forward in their case against me.

    After speaking with Brad Dalton the DOH has since removed four sites mentioning my ERO. However, on May 23, 2014 a miscellaneous document defending the surgeon general’s decision to enact an Emergency Restriction Order against me was published to Florida rules Department of State Florida Administrative Registrar (FAR). The document 64B9-16 is a first page search result on Google if you search my name David Christopher Ropp or my license number rn9333289. This information was published by the Florida Administrative Code. I have spoken with Adam S. Tanenbaum, General Council Member, with the Department of State and Linda McMullen, General Council Member, with the Department of Health and both said there is nothing they will do to help me. This is why I am sharing my story with you in hopes that you will be able to investigate the matter further and possibly expose this injustice.

    Thank You,
    David Ropp

    If you have any questions please contact me at:
    [email protected]
    847-525-0081

Comments are closed.


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