Did Pam Bondi and Rick Scott Conspire to Give the Zimmerman Case to Angela Corey?

The conservative newspaper National Review -- highly critical of Jacksonville State Attorney Angela Corey since the Zimmerman trial ended -- sees a sinister collusion between Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and Gov. Rick Scott.

Reporter Ian Tuttle questions the decison to give prosecution of the trial to Corey instead of Norm Wolfinger, state attorney for the 18th Circuit at the time Trayvon Martin was killed.

Writes Tuttle, "the evidence suggests the perfect storm in the Sunshine State: a maelstrom of weak-kneed Republicans, coercion, cronyism, and plain bad judgment."

In a Thursday story, reporter Tuttle said Wolfinger's office agreed after the homicide that there was insufficient evidence to arrest and charge Zimmerman with a crime. The public outcry followed; a conversation with Scott and Bondi -- the subject of which is unknown -- followed that. Finally, when Wolfinger yielded to pressure and moved to pursue the case, he ended up recusing himself.

Wolfinger's recusal may have been less than voluntary, Tuttle writes.

On March 22, Scotts office issued a press release announcing, The governor and attorney general reached out to State Attorney Norman Wolfinger today. After the conversation, Wolfinger decided to step down from this investigation and turn it over to another state attorney.

Usually, that other state attorney would be from an adjoining circuit. Not in this case. Bondi and Scott went straight for Angela Corey up in Jacksonville -- their friend.

Scott, Bondi and Angela Corey were closely connected years before the Zimmerman trial, says Tuttle. "Corey was elected state attorney for Floridas 4th Judicial Circuit in August 2008, winning the Republican primary with 64 percent of the vote. Two years later, Scott ran for governor and Bondi for attorney general. Corey was a donor to both, contributing to Scott $300 and to Bondi $750."