Governor Crist requests a state-wide corruption investigation
From Sunshine Review
October 14th, 2009. Governor Crist announced during his press conference on October 13th that he has requested for a state-wide investigation of political corruption. Crist has formally petitioned the Florida Supreme Court for the establishment of a grand jury, which would be responsible for the investigation. Crist's call for investigation follows several indictments and arrests for corruption that have been made against Florida public officials in recent months[1].
[edit] Grand jury
Crist has called for an eighteen member grand jury, which would last for a year and would be filled by citizens. The grand jury would be created in order to respond to two felt needs in Florida; outing corrupted public officials and toughening the corruption laws. The jury would have the authority to indict any public officials who are suspected of corruption and to recommend changes to the current corruption laws [2].
Crist says that corruption is a problem state-wide, but it is worst, he says, in South Florida. In the last month alone, many South Florida politicians have been the subjects of corruption cases. The list includes a Broward County Commissioner and School Board member, and three Commissioners from Palm Beach County. It also includes a political fundraiser and former Crist backer, Alan Mendelsohn, who is from Hollywood, Florida [3].
In the midst of the corruption scandals, the Florida Attorney General has expressed dissatisfaction with the current corruption laws in the state, which are much less strict than the federal corruption laws. The lenient corruption laws in Florida make prosecution difficult [4].
[edit] Criticism
Critics, including State Legislatures, have charged the request for a grand jury as being unnecessary. They say that legislatures already have good ideas as to how to toughen the current corruption laws, and that what is needed is following through on these ideas [5].
[edit] References
- ↑ Sun-Sentinel, Crist calls for statewide corruption grand jury.
- ↑ Sun-Sentinel, Crist calls for statewide corruption grand jury.
- ↑ Sun-Sentinel, Crist calls for statewide corruption grand jury.
- ↑ Sun-Sentinel, Crist calls for statewide corruption grand jury.
- ↑ Sun-Sentinel, Crist calls for statewide corruption grand jury.
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