Amid FDLE controversy, Scott wants more agency changes

By JIM TURNER and MARGIE MENZEL

TALLAHASSEE Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater wants the Florida Cabinet to reconsider how it handled the controversial change in leadership at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

But Gov. Rick Scott is not backing the request. Instead, the governor would like the cabinet to discuss making additional leadership changes at the Office of Insurance Regulation, the Office of Financial Regulation and the Department of Revenue.

Atwater sent a letter Tuesday to Scott expressing concern with the way longtime FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey left the agencys top job. Atwater added that even though a replacement was approved last week, a search should be held for a new commissioner.

Attorney General Pam Bondi, left, and Gov. Rick Scott listen to a speaker during a meeting of the Florida Cabinet in 2013. (AP Photo / Phil Sears)

A professional search would give the residents of Florida a full and complete understanding of the qualifications of the person selected to lead one of the states largest law enforcement agencies, and help reassure the employees of FDLE that the agencys leadership will be in the hands of a highly qualified individual with an unimpeachable reputation, Atwater wrote to Scott.

But Scott rejected the request, responding in a letter to Atwater that he would not support replacing the newly named commissioner in order to avoid unnecessary turmoil within the FDLE.

The FDLE commissioner position is a cabinet-level appointment. The cabinet last week approved Scotts second-term recommendation of Rick Swearingen, the former head of the Capitol Police, as the new FDLE leader.

Cabinet members Atwater, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said after the meeting they had been advised that Bailey resigned but acknowledged they did not inquire into the circumstances.

Scott told reporters that Bailey had resigned. Bailey, however, disputed that, telling the Tampa Bay Times that I did not voluntarily do anything. A spokeswoman for Scott later that day issued a statement that the governor thinks its important to frequently get new people into government positions of leadership.

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Amid FDLE controversy, Scott wants more agency changes