A former aide to the late Gov. Reubin Askew is appealing a ruling that allows elected officials to place their assets in a blind trust instead of reporting each investment publicly.
Jim Apthorp challenged the state law that allows blind trusts. The only public official who is using one is Gov. Rick Scott.
Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper in late July ruled that the law that authorizes blind trusts is "reasonable."
Apthorp's lawsuit contended that allowing elected officials to place their assets in a blind trust violates an amendment pushed by Askew that requires politicians to disclose their finances.
Apthorp in a statement said he was appealing because the ruling contradicts the Sunshine Amendment passed by voters in 1976.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
