5 Questions for Rick Scott and Pam Bondi

After news broke that Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi had delayed the execution of a murderer to attend her own fundraiser, the AP and the Florida Democratic Party filed public records requests for any and all correspondence regarding the decision. After being told there were none available, the AP reported this morning that it had obtained emails stating that Bondi’s staff had reached out to the families of Marshall Lee Gore’s victims and had gotten their approval to delay the execution. As one email states, “the families have been contacted and are okay” with Bondi’s decision. This answer serves only to raise more questions.  

Here are 5 questions Pam Bondi and Rick Scott owe it to the people of Florida to answer once and for all:

• Did Pam Bondi make it clear to the families of Marshall Lee Gore’s victims that she was delaying the execution because it conflicted with her scheduled fundraiser? 

• Why did Bondi’s office initially tell the AP and the Florida Democratic Party that public records requests for any an all correspondence turned up nothing?

• Why was the AP informed of this development and not the Florida Democratic Party, which filed a similar public records request? 

• Why did Governor Scott not even bother to ask Pam Bondi why she was delaying a murderer’s execution?

• Why has Rick Scott refused to join Pam Bondi and apologize?

Pam Bondi has assured Floridians that this won’t happen again. But if a voter had asked her three months ago if she would ever delay an execution so she could attend a fundraiser, how would she have answered? Floridians deserve answers. Why does Pam Bondi think the rules are different for her?