AG Bondi Says Execution Date Should Not Have Been Changed For Her

September 9, 2013

Attorney General Pam Bondi said Monday she should not have requested an execution be rescheduled from the night of her “campaign kickoff” fundraiser.

Bondi’s statement came after Gov. Rick Scott said he was unaware that the waterfront Tampa fundraiser, scheduled for Tuesday, was the reason she had requested the delay in the execution of convicted murderer Marshall Lee Gore.

“As a prosecutor, there was nothing more important than seeing justice done, especially when it came to the unconscionable act of murder,” Bondi said in a release. “I personally put two people on death row and, as attorney general, have already participated in eight executions since I took office, a role I take very seriously.”

“The planned execution of Marshall Lee Gore had already been stayed twice by the courts, and we should not have requested that the date of the execution be moved,” Bondi added.

On Aug. 13, Scott had scheduled Gore’s execution for 6 p.m. Sept. 10. But less than a week later, Scott advised Florida State Prison Warden John Palmer that he was moving the execution to 6 p.m. Oct. 1 “at the request of the Attorney General.”

Speaking to reporters Monday outside the Capitol, Scott said he was simply complying with a request from a state Cabinet member when he rescheduled the execution.

“Her office contacted my office and asked for a postponement, and that’s what we did,” Scott said. “No, I did not know (the reason).”

When the execution date was rescheduled, a spokeswoman for the attorney general said the event conflicted with another previously scheduled event. On Friday, a different spokeswoman for Bondi confirmed that the Tampa fundraiser is the event that had been scheduled before Gore’s execution was set for the same night.

“We set the date, the attorney general’s office asked for a postponement, so we went along with that,” Scott responded when asked Monday if he thought the reason for the delay was proper. “We try to comply with when other cabinet members ask for something. We try to work with them.”

An invitation to the event lists members of the host committee, including House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, and Sens. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, Bill Galvano, R- Bradenton, Tom Lee, R-Brandon, Wilton Simpson, R- Trilby, and Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, and Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn.

Bondi has yet to receive a challenger to her 2014 re-election.

Gore, whose sanity has been the focus of efforts to block the execution, was convicted of killing two women in 1988 in Miami-Dade and Columbia counties.

Gore’s death warrant is for the murder of Robyn Novick, whose nude body was found in March 1988 in a rural area of Miami-Dade.

by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida

Comments

3 Responses to “AG Bondi Says Execution Date Should Not Have Been Changed For Her”

  1. David Huie Green on September 10th, 2013 5:46 am

    Monday’s not good, I have a hair appointment.
    Tuesday? No, my book club meets on Tuesdays.
    Wednesday? No, that’s not good, I’m having my nails done Wednesday.
    Thursday? Thursday’s good. Send him to Eternity on Thursday.

    Priorities

  2. 429SCJ on September 10th, 2013 4:50 am

    A short wait won’t hurt Mr Gore or the execution team. Give him a little while longer for which to get his affairs in order. As for the witnesses who are unable to make the new date, I doubt that they will miss much.

    You can’t expect everything of Ms Bondi. or anyone else for that matter.

  3. ryan on September 10th, 2013 1:27 am

    There’s three sides to every story. Person A’s side, Person B’s side, then the truth.

    I believe that every politicians government phone, office and government vehicle should be tracked, microphoned and videoed anytime they use it. Even if their suit is purchased through taxpayer funds, there should be a micrphone attached to the suit. Also, random drug and alcohol testing for everyone including the governor.

    The recordings of all should be immediately uploaded to. A public. Access website for. All to see. And hear. Unfiltered. Any edited or gaps in recordings will be considered tampering and investigated as such. Any findings that reveal an effort by someone to tamper with the devices will be immediately replaced.

    Only way to hold government accountable.

    Watch how fast you see people drop, quit and get fired.

    This will be a good way to hold em accountable.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News