Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey was fired from his job last month. According to reports, Bailey turned down efforts during Scott’s re-election campaign to politicize his agency and ran afoul of Scott’s staffers. He also refused to participate in campaign activities and objected to being improperly shaken down for campaign contributions.
Democratic former state Sen. Dan Gelber, a former federal prosecutor, writing on his blog says, Bailey-Gate has taken a much more ominous turn based on allegations that the Rick Scott administration wanted FDLE to target certain people.
[…] It’s a federal crime to conspire to falsely deprive someone of their liberty under color of law (Title 18 USC 241). It’s also a state crime to make false statements in criminal investigations, misuse an official position and act falsely under color of authority (F.S. Chapters 837, 838, 843). If the allegations are true, state and federal law enforcement should be reviewing the sorry affair.
The Florida Cabinet and legislature are obliged to conduct their own reviews as well.
The Florida Cabinet, who by law must take part in the firing and hiring of the FDLE Commissioner, all say they were duped and had utterly no idea Bailey had been unilaterally fired.
That’s not enough. They all voted to accept Bailey’s resignation. If they were truly misled, they need to demand an opportunity to ask tough questions of the governor and his staff at the next Cabinet meeting.
It would also be fitting for them to demand an independent investigation outside of FDLE by someone untainted by political influence.
Read more here.
