Fifteen Democratic House members sent a letter Tuesday to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater asking if Gov. Rick Scott’s office violated citizens’ civil rights or misused taxpayer dollars during a budget-signing event last month.
Members of the audience holding anti-Scott signs at the event, held May 26 at The Villages, were removed from the crowd at the behest of the governor’s staff, according to reporters at the scene.
“In our view, the unlawful removal of a citizen at a public event is a very serious infringement of the rights of taxpaying Floridians, especially given the appearance that the citizens were removed solely, or primarily, because of their political views,” the letter reads. “These actions by, or under the authority of the Governor’s Office, are profoundly disappointing and shocking as they trample upon essential freedoms that all Americans cherish.”
After saying he didn’t know anything about the incident, Scott admitted a staffer made a mistake and accepted responsibility Friday in a statement by spokesman Brian Burgess.
That’s not enough, the Democrats wrote: “However, the brief statement neither provides explanation for the actions nor an apology to the affected persons.”
The letter is signed by Reps. Mark Pafford of West Palm Beach, Rick Kriseman of St. Petersburg, Richard Steinberg of Miami Beach, Jeff Clemens of Lake Worth, Janet Cruz of Tampa, Scott Randolph of Orlando, Reggie Fullwood of Jacksonville, Dwight Bullard of Miami, Lori Berman of Delray Beach, Luis Garcia of Miami Beach, Franklin Sands of Weston, Elaine Schwartz of Hollywood, Alan Williams of Tallahassee, Steve Perman of Boca Raton and Jim Waldman of Coconut Creek.
