Bondi stonewalls on questions about exit of FDLE's Bailey

Although she touts herself as a transparent Attorney General, Pam Bondi continued to prove otherwise after Tuesday's Cabinet meeting.

She is the top law enforcement official in Florida and works closely with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, yet Bondi hasn't said a peep publicly about the abrupt departure of Commissioner Gerald Bailey.

Bondi is no bystander. As a member of the Cabinet, she is one of four votes of the FDLE Commissioner position. Without providing a public explanation, she voted Tuesday to appoint Bailey's replacement, Rick Swearingen.

With Bailey now telling Times/Herald Capitol Bureau Chief Steve Bousquet that he was forced out, what does Bondi have to say about her role? Has she communicated at all with Gov. Rick Scott's administration on Bailey's departure? Or does she not know,ceding her duties to Scott? Did she ask Scott any questions about why Bailey, after three decades with the FDLE, was suddenly leaving?

Bailey told Bousquet that Scott's general counsel told him that Scott had the support of Bondi and the other two cabinet members (CFO Jeff Atwater and Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam) in ousting him.

So how did Bondi explain her role to reporters after Tuesday's Cabinet meeting? She didn't.

Question: Youre in law enforcement, you havent said anything about (Baileys) exit. Can you shed a little light on your feelings of Bailey leaving the FDLE?

Bondi: Oh, I think hes an amazing man. Its interesting because I almost talked about him today.

Question: Why didnt you?

Bondi: It escaped me. They kept going. But hes a very private man. But Ive been talking to my staff about doing something in his honor.

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Bondi stonewalls on questions about exit of FDLE's Bailey