Integrity Florida issued the following release today:
Governor DeSantis, we urge you to veto Senate Bill 7014 as it poses a serious threat to Florida’s ethics laws. Senate Bill 7014, if signed into law, would have detrimental consequences for our ability to hold corrupt public officials accountable when they abuse the public trust.
SB 7014, in its current form, never received a committee hearing which would have allowed public comment and discussion. SB 7014 was amended on the floor of the House and Senate to prohibit members of the public from filing an ethics complaint unless they have “personal knowledge” of an alleged ethics violation.
“As you know Governor, the only people who have personal knowledge of a violation of the law are those who are committing the violation,” said Ben Wilcox, Research Director for Integrity Florida. “If this bill becomes law, no longer would someone be able to file an ethics complaint based on a credible report in their local newspaper. The Florida Commission on Ethics can’t even begin an investigation into a potential ethics violation unless a citizen is able to file a sworn complaint.”
Senate Bill 7014 also places new restrictions on local ethics boards like those in Jacksonville, Miami, Palm Beach County, Tallahassee and Naples. No longer would those boards be able to self-initiate investigations into anonymous complaints, regardless of how credible those complaints may be. This is particularly troublesome at the local level where government employees may fear retaliation if they put their name on a sworn complaint.
This bill threatens to undermine the very principles that our government should uphold. The bill includes provisions that would restrict the ability of citizens and watchdog organizations like Integrity Florida to hold elected officials accountable.
Furthermore, this bill allows for unethical behavior to go unchecked. It weakens ethics enforcement and oversight, making it easier for corrupt practices to occur without consequence. This is a step in the wrong direction and goes against the best interests of the people of Florida.
JOE D says
I’m sure our Governor will give this Ethics request, all the attention he thinks it deserves (little to none). Our current Governor appears to be the “king” of “Do what I say, and if you publicly disagree, I’ll come after you anyway I can.” Just look at Disney’s “punishment” for publicly challenging the Government’s so called “Don’t say ‘GAY’ bill.” And, the newest legislation restricting what state (at least at the moment ) college professors discuss in class
Although I appreciate the efforts of this ethics advocacy group to petition the Governor for action against the new repressive bill, this (probable) new law just gets in line with other recent legislation pushed by the Governor and passed by the current RUBBER STAMP Florida State Legislature.
It restricts the ability for citizens to anonymously file an ethics complaint. The REASON given, is that it will cut down on complaints filed in retaliation. But it will really suppress almost all ethics inquiries (most people, in this politically charged government environment are AFRAID to publicly challenge an official due to later retaliation by that official). Think Liz Cheney and her being appointed to the January 6 investigation committee…Donald Trump made sure his MINIONS went after her AND her career after she DID her assigned duty on the committee…talk about RETRIBUTION!
Just listen to Donald Trump talk about REVENGE and RETRIBUTION as soon as he would take office, against those that defied him, or challenged his unethical and ultimately ILLEGAL activity.
This is what dictator 3rd world leaders do when they take over power from their opponents. The US was the first country to be established with the PEACEFUL transition of POWER…at least until the January 6 insurrection was incited by former President Trump despite Court reviewed evidence of NO widespread voter fraud sufficient to overturn (legally)…the results of a valid election ( in case, after case, after case)…Trump just refused to BELIEVE he didn’t WIN….and he is saying it again, months BEFORE the election, talking about a BLOODBATH if he doesn’t get elected….is this the kind of elected official you want leading the USA?
SCARY!!!
Ray W. says
Hello Joe D.
I suppose that many FlaglerLive readers remember when then-President Trump, prior to the 2020 election, pressured the CDC to approve, via emergency rules then in effect, the vaccines. The goal, it seemed to me at the time, was to enable our president to claim that his “Operation Warp Speed” had been a complete success.
Had the CDC bent to the political pressure prior to the election and approved the vaccine prior to its procedures permitting it to do so, can it be successfully argued that our then-president needed the early approval to garner more and more favorable votes from undecided voters in the pending election? If so, can the derivative argument be made and supported that then-President Trump knew he was either losing or close to losing the presidential election when he began placing the pressure on the CDC to violate its procedures? That if he really believed he was going to win, then he wouldn’t have needed the CDC’s emergency approval of the vaccines prior to the election?
Laurel says
Ray W.: You give the man way too much credit. He asked Dr. Fauci “Why should I take the flu vaccine when I don’t have the flu?” Debra Birx squirmed in her chair while he talked about injecting bleach. He’s just not that smart.
Deborah Coffey says
You’re right, Laurel. He’s as dumb as a rock but, he is a snake in the grass…and so venomous that he is deadly when he bites.
endangered species says
Haha you think republicans have ethics, your crazy! they will do whatever is necessary to not be held accountable for anything as that’s what corrupt people do. ron defuherer and orange convict have no ethics they want to be dictators and republicans want to give them the opportunity. remember how they accepted their leader is convict haha, wait till the next 70 felonies are guilty as we all saw the coup attempt with the big lie narrative. still cant find once instance where another american was found guilty of 37 felonies and didnt go to prision so much for justice under the law. Buckle up should be a nasty ride to the bottom.