Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup

July 29, 2018

A year ago, Florida’s political types expected to be talking about Jack Latvala this summer in the context of the Republican gubernatorial primary.

But Latvala’s bid for Florida’s most-powerful office has long ago been left in tatters, after he resigned from the Florida Senate following an investigation into allegations he sexually harassed women, including aides and lobbyists.

http://www.northescambia.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/floridaweeklly.jpgYet Latvala was once again in the middle of the news this week as a Leon County prosecutor announced he would not seek criminal charges against the Clearwater Republican. The prosecutor said there was insufficient evidence to prove allegations that the former senator might have traded legislative favors for sex.

But the Latvala scandal is little more than sideshow to the real drama building in a huge political year in Florida, where voters will get to pick a new governor, three Cabinet members and decide the fate of a long-term U.S. senator.

The Aug. 28 primary looms. Absentee ballots went out to voters this week. Registration books for voting in the primary will close on Monday. And with the knowledge that the majority of votes are likely to be cast before Aug. 28, the election season is closer than many realize.

That electoral drama will only heighten in the coming week with the appearance in Florida of the one office-holder who seems to dominate every political discussion: President Donald Trump.

‘NO FURTHER ACTION’

The Latvala saga moved closer to becoming a salacious footnote in Florida’s legislative history with a prosecutor’s announcement that there was insufficient evidence to move forward on criminal charges against the former senator.

Jack Campbell, state attorney in the 2nd Judicial Circuit, said Thursday there was not enough “evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Latvala was unlawfully compensated or rewarded for his official behavior as a Florida senator.”

“Since criminal charges are not warranted, this office will take no further action on the matter,” Campbell wrote in a brief summation to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which reached the same conclusion after investigating a possible quid pro quo.

Thursday’s announcement closed months of investigations into Latvala, a veteran lawmaker who decided to resign from the Senate in December following the release of a report by Senate Special Master Ronald Swanson, a retired judge. The probe was sparked by allegations that Latvala, who was serving as the powerful Senate budget chief, had sexually harassed Rachel Perrin Rogers, a Senate aide.

Latvala has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing but admitted he had an extramarital affair with former lobbyist Laura McLeod, whose testimony prompted Swanson to recommend a criminal probe into whether Latvala had broken state laws by promising legislative favors in exchange for sex.

“Basically, what we’ve had here with FDLE and the state attorney is we’ve had professional law enforcement people who aren’t tainted by Senate politics, who have looked at something and made a good judgment on it. They’ve done their job, and I commend them for doing their job,” Latvala told The News Service of Florida on Thursday. “It took a little longer for FDLE to get that report done than I would have liked, but I think they saw through a lot of this stuff.”

The state law enforcement agency launched its investigation sometime in December, according to a report released by Campbell’s office Thursday.

Swanson found probable cause to support allegations that Latvala had repeatedly groped Perrin Rogers and engaged in a pattern of making unwelcome remarks about women’s bodies. Perrin Rogers set off the inquiry into Latvala, who denied her allegations, by filing a complaint with the Senate Rules Committee.

The FDLE report was focused on the testimony of McLeod, who quit lobbying and went to work as an aide to Sen. Lauren Book, D-Plantation, in September. McLeod stepped down in April.

In interviews with investigators and Swanson, McLeod indicated Latvala never explicitly promised legislation in exchange for sex.

But, she said “it seemed that it was expected” and that sex “will be part of the equation.”

McLeod said Latvala behaved as though it was something “he felt entitled to.”

“I tolerated it because it was part of my job,” McLeod said.

THE PRESIDENT COMETH

President Donald Trump is headed to Tampa on Tuesday for a political rally that will highlight his endorsement of U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis in the Republican primary for governor.

Polls this week again demonstrated the maverick president’s ability to disrupt the political landscape.

Florida Atlantic University and Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy released surveys showing DeSantis, a three-term congressman from Northeast Florida, surging ahead of Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, who has a huge campaign financing advantage and a much higher profile as a two-term member of the Florida Cabinet.

Gov. Rick Scott, who is challenging Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, is carefully maneuvering around Trump’s appearance. Scott announced this week he would not attend the political rally at the state fairgrounds. But he will join the president earlier in the day for an education-related event in the Tampa Bay area.

Kevin Wagner, an FAU political-science professor, said Trump’s support could be a double-edged sword in Florida’s elections, noting state voters overall give him a negative approval rating.

“While the president can help Congressman DeSantis in the primary, Mr. Trump’s underwater approval ratings may be a drag in the general election,” Wagner said.

STORY OF THE WEEK: The Leon County state attorney announced Thursday that he would not pursue criminal charges against former state Sen. Jack Latvala.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “This is another sentencing that is a timeless sentence. Every time I talk to somebody about I cannot vote, it feels like I’m still incarcerated. It feels like I’m still doing part of the sentence,” — Yraida Guanipa, a Miami resident who served time on drug-related charges, as the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments in a case challenging Florida’s system for restoring voting rights for felons who have served their sentences.

by Lloyd Dunkelberger, The News Service of Florida

Comments

One Response to “Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup”

  1. chillywilly on July 29th, 2018 8:46 am

    Rick Scott please just go away. He Took the fifth amendment 75 times in a deposition in the largest Medicare Fraud case in history.
    settled several million dollar law suits with our tax dollars for violating Florida Sunshine laws for open government, Google the firing of Gerald Bailey, former FDLE director
    Total disgrace what he did to a man with a impeccable law enforcement career..Keeps all his assets hidden in a blind trust in his wife’s name.
    Changed your automobile insurance, benefiting insurance companies so you only have 14 days after you have a accident. to file a medical claim, who does that benefit. Scott has already spent five million on TV ads. Spent millions of our tax dollars building a sea wall around a golf course in south Florida.. Yet he vetoed most projects in our area. Scott has destroyed the department of health , department of corrections, remember when the tornadoes hit century , Scott was in Pensacola and would not even go to century to check on those folks. He privatized Silver Springs in Ocala Now looks like a dilapidated ghost
    town. I was there. Tried to cut funding for in home care for disabled children and put them in senior nursing homes , thankfully a judge stepped in and stopped it. need I say more. Please Vote.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News