Five months have passed since Florida last had a lieutenant governor, but Gov. Rick Scott appears to be in no hurry to change the situation.
Jennifer Carroll resigned March 12 amid revelations that a company she co-owned, 3N & JC Corporation, had provided consulting services for Allied Veterans of the World, a group that provided charity to military veterans. According to authorities, Allied Veterans donated just two percent of its $300 million in proceeds.
For now, if Scott were unable to fulfill his duties for some reason, Attorney General Pam Bondi would take over as governor. Ironically, Bondi has her own connection to the Allied Veterans criminal case being heard in Seminole County.
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Bondi was subpoenaed in conjunction with court documents alleging that she was briefed on Allied Veterans’ business model for its gaming centers, and accepted a hand-delivered contribution for $25,000 intended to be a donation for her 2010 campaign – before she became attorney general.
Bondi argued in a response to the subpoena that she is entitled to “testimonial immunity” because she is now the state’s attorney general. Sanford-area Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester Jr. – who was the original judge on the George Zimmerman murder case – agreed. On Wednesday, he ruled that Bondi does not have to answer defense attorneys’ questions under oath.
