The whirlwind of controversy surrounding Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi's forced resignations of two attorneys serving in the state's economic crimes division is well deserved. There are enough red flags to suspect there were political motivations involved and the vague answers given so far remain less than adequate, to say the least.

Bondi's office has only released a statement saying that the two attorneys, who were given the option to resign before being fired, were ousted for poor performance. That claim is in direct contradiction to their employee reviews. The fact that the two investigators were looking into a company, Lender Processing Services, that donated money to Bondi and many others in her party puts a stink on this that shouldn't sit well with any taxpayer.

The two attorneys, June Clarkson and Theresa Edwards, have gone on record to say that they were asked immediately about that particular investigation, while describing a hostile environment that took shape when Bondi replaced fellow Republican Bill McCollum, who left the position to run for the GOP gubernatorial nomination.

Florida AG Pam Bondi

Clarkson and Edwards were a major part of an effort that drew national attention to a systemic problem with so-called “robo-signers” and fraudulent foreclosure filings that had been making their way through Florida courts as a result. It is unfortunate to be able to so easily imagine a scenario where LPS's financial contributions and political connections will allow them to escape scrutiny, but to assert otherwise would be laughable.

Just this week, Governor Scott said that he was confident the state could make good on its deadline for a major privatization of state correctional facilities – you know the one that every single cost factor examination fails to support, but was driven by G.E.O., the state GOP's number one contributor. Such examples are endless.

What makes the possibility of the foreclosure investigators falling victim to political payback so much more egregious is its ripple effect. Sure, any lenience or escaping justice would come at the obvious and unforgivable expense of the careers of two seemingly hard-working employees. But think of the message it sends. Get on the right side of these things or get a new job – and in this economy... That is often how cultures of corruption start. First you make employees scared for their jobs if they oppose you, then you reward them when they don't. Once you've got them bending the rules on their own, once caught, it's easy to write them off as "a few bad apples" seeking personal gain, rather than the product of systemic corruption.

There's also the matter of credibility in a taxpayer-funded cabinet level office that exists to facilitate the rule of law. When a component of the justice system becomes a joke, it taints the entire process of justice. Who can take seriously future allegations levied upon others by the office, when such a cloud looms over its integrity? Anyone accused of anything, guilty or innocent, need only shrug and assert that they are guilty of no more than not buying off the right politicians.

Florida's incessant corruption has a national reputation. Perhaps the best thing that can be said is that it's finally become commonplace to perform such matters in the open, as if there can be nothing wrong with any matter that need not be hidden to be successfully performed. There was a specific moment in Rome's decline when a word for graft that had previously been akin to a profanity, actually became part of the official vernacular– a political term used in normal procedure. Many historians note this as the moment when the soon to follow collapse became obvious. There was no longer even the appearance of justice, meritocracy or the rule of law. If the United States is to follow suit, it appears Florida is intent to lead the way.

 

related:

AG Firings Draw Broader Criticism, Calls Ring Out for Federal Inquiry

Dennis Maley is a featured columnist and editor for The Bradenton Times. An archive of his columns is available here. He can be reached at dennis.maley@thebradentontimes.com.