Putnam Offers Excuses and Lies to Explain Massive Scandal

Adam Putnam’s latest statement on his department’s failure to keep Floridians safe only raises more questions about why the department allowed​ guns to​ be sold for a year without performing background checks — which could have​potentially allowed terrorists to secretly pack heat in Florida.

Putnam tries to put all of​ the blame on one staffer — but neglects to explain why it took so long to identify the problem and why the employee’s supervisors were never reprimanded. Putnam’s office also spread misinformation to the Tampa Bay Times by falsely claiming that the NICS database did not include criminal information.

If he’s serious about coming clean, Putnam must answer:

1. When did Adam Putnam personally know that his department had failed to conduct tens of thousands background checks?
2. Why did it take a full year for anyone at the department to notice the problem? Why did Putnam only fire one low-level employee, and retain her supervisors who didn’t notice the issue?
3. Why did Adam Putnam keep this hidden from the public and other members of the cabinet?
4. Why did Putnam spokesperson Aaron Keller lie to the Tampa Bay Times by saying that the NICS database — which stands for National Instant Criminal Background Checks System — only include non-criminal information? Do Putnam staffers understand how the background system works — or are they lying to reporters.

“Adam Putnam’s attempt to blame this scandal on one erratic employee is pathetic. Floridians deserve to know the truth about why their government failed to keep them safe — and all Adam Putnam and his team have offered is falsehoods and excuses,” said Florida Democratic Party spokesperson Kevin Donohoe.