Associated Press
Florida’s main law enforcement agency is getting a new leader, but questions remain about why Gov. Rick Scott abruptly shook up the agency.
Scott and the Florida Cabinet voted on Tuesday to appoint Richard Swearingen as the new commissioner for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Swearingen is a longtime veteran of the agency.
Former Commissioner Gerald Bailey was forced by the Scott administration to resign in December.
Scott was asked several times on Tuesday why Bailey was forced to resign. But the governor would not answer and instead said Bailey did a “great job.”
The other elected officials who oversee the agency said they did not know why Bailey resigned.
Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater said he was unaware that Bailey was forced to step down.
Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
