Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Daniel TilsonMarch 27, 2015

Editor’s note: The following is a first-person account from Context Florida columnist Daniel Tilson. After getting home from shooting video for a client today, I found a business card shoved in my front door. Much to my surprise, it had the name and contact info of an FDLE inspector on it. Remember FDLE, the Florida […]

Jac VerSteegFebruary 25, 2015

Miami Herald political editor Sergio Bustos provided the most fascinating tidbit at Tuesday’s Media Panel sponsored by TaxWatch and held at Gunster law firm in Fort Lauderdale. The topic was gambling in Florida. Will the state reach a new compact with the Seminoles? Will the interests pushing for Las Vegas-style resort casinos finally get clearance […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 20, 2015

Try as it might to Governor Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet, the controversy over the handling of former FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey isn’t going away. This morning the conservative editorial page of the Tampa Tribune weighed in, writing that, “Gov. Rick Scott is sorely mistaken if he thinks a steady stream of press releases […]

Daniel TilsonFebruary 19, 2015

So we’ve got this Sunshine Law in Florida. It’s supposed to be all about “open” government decision-making and freedom of information, including unrestricted access to public records. As many of us now know more than ever before, Florida Gov. Rick Scott and the Cabinet have made a farce of the law. And they’ve had plenty […]

Peter SchorschFebruary 10, 2015

Governor Scott, Excuse my impertinence, but I’m talking to you. Today, a Quinnipiac poll shows that more Floridians disapprove of your performance as governor than approve of it, this despite the fact that you just spent $80 million burnishing your TV image and Floridians’ generally sunny outlook about the future of the Sunshine State. How […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 3, 2015

It hasn’t been much of a honeymoon since Rick Scott won his re-election last November, and it may not get better anytime soon. The controversy regarding the dispute circumstances surrounding the firing of FDLE head Gerald Bailey continue to dog him on a daily basis, and a new poll conducted by St. Pete Polls commissioned […]

Daniel TilsonFebruary 1, 2015

It’s time we heard what Charlie Crist thinks about Rick Scott’s latest scandals. It might help us make better sense of the mess Scott made out of firing Gerald Bailey, longtime and widely respected commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), not to mention new whistleblower allegations that Scott ignored and covered up fatal failures of […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 30, 2015

Next week the Florida Cabinet meets in Tampa for the first time since they unanimously approved Rick Swearingen as the replacement for Gerald Bailey to lead the Florida Dept. of Law Enforcement. Bailey announced his resignation in December, but told members of the media after Swearingen’s appointment in early January that in fact he had […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 29, 2015

Governor Rick Scott was in Tampa this morning, touting his proposed cell phone and TV tax cut that is designed to reduce the average Floridians cable bill by approximately $43 a year. But that’s not what the press corps was interested in talking about of course, as Scott was besieged once again by questions surrounding […]

James CallJanuary 28, 2015

Attorney General Pam Bondi Wednesday suggested some palace intrigue was involved in the Bailey affair. Bondi, speaking at the annual AP pre-session briefing, said the Cabinet knew there was going to be changes made in Cabinet agencies but the former prosecutor suspects not the governor but his staff was behind the unceremonious dumping of the […]

Tag: FDLE

Columnist Daniel Tilson gets a surprise home visit from FDLE

Jac VerSteeg: Why casinos might be out of luck in Florida

First Amendment Foundation wants special prosecutor to investigate Rick Scott, Baileygate

Daniel Tilson: Ain’t no sunshine: Make our legislators clean the mud off Florida government ‘transparency’

Peter Schorsch: Gov. Scott and D-list team fail at policy, people & process

New poll shows Rick Scott hurt by Baileygate

Daniel Tilson: Charlie Crist should weigh in on Gov. Scott's scandals

Jack Latvala blasts Cabinet members in Gerald Bailey affair

Rick Scott again says no Cabinet member objected to his desire to fire Gerald Bailey

AG Pam Bondi: Rick Scott didn't know about ouster of top cop