If he's elected attorney general, Sen. Dan Gelber pledged to form a public corruption unit to monitor government and get rid of the bad apples in the state's barrel.
Florida has a corruption problem and I think its a very big one, said the Miami Beach Democrat, who claims the public corruption unit could draw from the U.S. Department of Justice as well as the attorney generals office.
Its absolutely necessary we have it and almost outrageous that we dont already, said Gelber at a media event Friday in Tallahassee. Gelber praised the various federal and state attorneys working on public corruption matters in Florida, but said there are too few of them with little in the way of resources to make a serious impact.
Gelber pointed to recent events in Tallahassee, including the investigation of former House Speaker Ray Sansom who resigned in disgrace as part of a culture of corruption-- a mantra espoused by Democrats across Florida against Republicans in control of the state government.
Floridians have lost a good measure of faith in their state government and it is understandable, with indictments coming out of Tallahassee and a general belief that special-interest money has overwhelmed the core mission of state government, said Gelber, who defeated Sen. Dave Aronberg of Greenacres in the Democratic primary. We must aggressively attack public corruption, and this requires a unified and dedicated force that will solely focus on cleaning up Tallahassee. There has been an utter lack of scrutiny, in large part because limited resources are dedicated to oversight of the excesses of state officials.
I don't believe a corruption strike force will solve all these problems -- in fact, too much of what is sleazy about state government is not even illegal, continued Gelber who has served for a decade in the Legislature. However, I do believe a dedicated force of prosecutors and investigators can do a lot to change the culture of corruption that seems to define state government.
Gelber faces former Assistant State Attorney Pam Bondi, the Republican candidate in the race, and independent Jim Lewis in the general election in November. While not commanding as much attention as the dramatic battles in the U.S. Senate election or the gubernatorial contest, the attorney generals race has grown increasingly tense in recent weeks.
Bondi, who defeated Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp and former Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Holly Benson for the Republican nod, is pointing out a difference each week between herself and Gelber, blasting the Democrat for backing the new federal health-care laws that President Barack Obama favors.
Her campaign clearly shows no sign of ceding the public corruption issue to Gelber. Even in promoting a new application on its website, the Bondi campaign took issue with the Democrats.
Ever watch the news and just get discouraged by the rampant liberal policies that are ruining our country? asked the Bondi campaign. Well, now you have another opportunity to end this era of corruption and big government by utilizing online resources.
Gelber returned fire Friday. My opponent has gotten in the hyper-partisan mode -- which is not appropriate in the attorney generals office, he said.
The two campaigns have also squabbled about debates -- with Bondi pushing for two and Gelber, who called for nine against Aronberg, demanding seven.
The two sides also traded law-enforcement endorsements this week.
The Florida Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) announced late Wednesday that it will back Bondi.
The support of the Fraternal Order of Police is so important because I am committed to fighting criminals and protecting our families, our neighborhoods and our communities, said Bondi. Floridas sworn law-enforcement officers put their lives on the line every single day to keep our state safe, and I am honored to be their choice as Floridas next attorney general.
As an 18-year career prosecutor in the 13th judicial circuit and a strong advocate for justice, Pam has demonstrated a commitment to the citizens of Florida that exceeds politics as usual. We have seen firsthand her willingness to step up and fight for what is right, said Florida State FOP President James W. Preston whose organization has more than 20,000 members. We are confident the experience, remarkable leadership, knowledge and work ethic she will bring to the office of attorney general will serve our great state with integrity and honor. Florida deserves no less.
Not to be outdone, Gelber brought out the endorsement of the Florida Police Benevolent Association (PBA) Friday.
I am honored to have the endorsement of the Florida PBA, said Gelber. The brave men and women of our law enforcement community who work every day to keep our residents safe will have, when I am elected attorney general, a partner who will work with them to ensure the safety and security of all Floridians.
John Rivera, president of the PBA, praised Gelbers experience.
Dan Gelbers track record as a top federal prosecutor and chief counsel and staff director for the U.S. Senates Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations earned him the support of our 36,000 members, said Rivera. Public safety and protecting Floridians have been priorities of Dans long before his service in the Legislature. I am confident as our next attorney general, it will be his mission to work in partnership with the law enforcement community to keep our streets safe and take on those who aim to harm Floridians.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
