Florida

Florida to Spend $700,000 to Settle Public Records Lawsuits

Florida is paying $700,000 to settle allegations that Gov. Rick Scott and other state officials flouted the state's public records laws.

The state agreed this week to pay that amount to Tallahassee attorney Steven Andrews. Andrews sued the governor and other top state officials back in 2013. He alleged the Scott administration failed to turn over calendars and emails and text messages.

Jackie Schutz, a spokeswoman for Scott, said "it was the right thing to do for the state.'' The settlement was first reported by The Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times Tallahassee bureau.

The decision to settle the lawsuits comes the same week that Scott and members of the Cabinet agreed to settle a land dispute with Andrews.

Under that deal, Andrews will be allowed to purchase land near the governor's mansion about a mile north of the state Capitol. The public record lawsuits were an outgrowth of that dispute.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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