Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiDecember 19, 2017

Update: Jack Latvala resigned from the Senate Wednesday afternoon. In a resignation letter to Senate President Joe Negron, Latvala wrote: “I have never intentionally dishonored my family, my constituents or the Florida Senate. “My political adversaries have latched onto this effort to rid our country of sexual harassment to try to rid the Florida Senate of […]

Peter SchorschDecember 19, 2017

So, let’s imagine an imaginary senator—we’ll call him Mack Trackvalla—who gets into a bit of a pickle for some allegedly inappropriate behavior. There’s an outcry, followed by calls for his resignation, which he laughs at. “I’ll see the place burn first!” this imaginary lawmaker tells news media. A complaint to the Rules Committee soon follows, […]

Danny McAuliffeDecember 18, 2017

What is sexual harassment? How can it be prevented? What procedures are in place to report it? Those were some of the questions posed during a Florida Commission on Human Relations public workshop on sexual harassment Monday at Leroy Collins Library in Tallahassee. A human relations workshop ordinarily wouldn’t grab media attention, but in the […]

Ana CeballosDecember 14, 2017

In one case a female Florida Department of Transportation worker was grabbed by the throat and beaten by her male supervisor. He was not fired. In another, a Department of Corrections worker was photographed fully nude by an inspector who erroneously told her photos of her naked body parts were needed to investigate an inmate […]

Jim RosicaDecember 13, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott issued an executive order Wednesday mandating all state agencies under him have a “process that works” when it comes to receiving and investigating sexual harassment complaints. “We cannot tolerate sexual harassment at all in Florida, and today’s executive order protects state employees by directing how agencies report, investigate and train against sexual harassment […]

Ana CeballosDecember 12, 2017

The Senate has spent nearly $25,000 in taxpayer money on outside attorneys in connection to the sexual harassment allegations against Sen. Jack Latvala, according to Senate records. In mid-November, Senate President Joe Negron hired a trio of attorneys from the GrayRobinson law firm to help him navigate the investigation into sexual harassment and groping allegations […]

Ana CeballosDecember 11, 2017

U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz thinks the Senate sexual harassment investigation into Sen. Jack Latvala is a “sham” and refused to speak to the attorney leading the investigation, according to a POLITICO Florida report. “The Florida Senate’s ‘investigation’ into Senator Latvala is a sham. I will not validate it by participating,” Gaetz wrote in a letter […]

Mitch PerryDecember 8, 2017

While the Florida Democratic Party has called for Republican state Sen. Jack Latvala of Clearwater to step down in the wake of accusations of sexual harassment, only two of the 15 Democratic senators have followed suit. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum says that may be because of the institutional structure and the nature of relationships in the […]

Ana CeballosDecember 7, 2017

After saying that politicians in Tallahassee treat Session and committee weeks like it’s “spring break,” Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gwen Graham said Thursday that if she becomes Governor “the party is over.” “It’s time our public servants truly serve the people and that can only happen when politicians stop serving themselves,” Graham said at a press […]

Scott PowersDecember 7, 2017

Declaring again that it’s time to “change the toxic culture in Tallahassee,” Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris King on Thursday laid out a plan to address sexual misconduct allegations including the creation of a victims’ advocacy program. In a video he launched on his campaign’s Facebook page Thursday, King declared it is time to end “the […]

Tag: sexual harassment

Bombshell charges abound in Jack Latvala report

A not-so-fun hypothetical for Joe Negron

A cup runneth over: State workshops sexual harassment

Court records shed light on Rick Scott administration sexual harassment settlements

Rick Scott signs executive order on sexual harassment

Senate spends $25K on outside attorneys for Jack Latvala probe

Congressman says Jack Latvala Senate investigation is a ‘sham’

Andrew Gillum questions Senate Democrats’ silence on Jack Latvala

Gwen Graham to ‘chummy’ politicians: ‘When I’m Governor, the party is over’

Chris King calls for sexual misconduct victims’ advocacy in ethics office