Despite Gov. Rick Scott’s utterances of open and transparent government, last week his administration acknowledged that e-mail accounts when Scott was governor-elect and most of his transition team were deleted, after he took office.
According to Scott’s administration officials, the private company providing the e-mail service deleted the records in January, the St. Petersburg Times reported.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida (ACLU) said the deleting of the e-mails containing public records demonstrated a violation of constitutional requirements of open government.
“The reports that Governor Scott’s transition team deleted e-mail accounts which contained public records are just the latest chapter in the Scott administration’s ongoing saga of disregard for the constitutional requirement of open government,” a statement by ACLU said. “We are disappointed, but not surprised, that once again this administration has let down Floridians who expect transparency, openness, and honesty from their government.”
Scott has ordered the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) to look into the matter.
