The ethics issue seemed dead until Scott put a spotlight on it last month.
Scott steps in
In a letter to Corcoran’s office, the governor’s chief of staff, Kim McDougal, suggested “shutting the revolving door, to prohibit the employment of legislators by entities including law firms that employ lobbyists.”
McDougal said the change would stop a practice that “allows members to benefit from their state position by working for law firms and other entities that profit from lobbying the Legislature and Executive branches of Florida’s government.”
Scott and Corcoran have been deeply at odds in recent months. They’ve engaged in a war of words over taxpayer-funded economic development incentives, which Scott supports and Corcoran wants to eliminate.
The governor’s ethics letter was viewed by some as an effort to ding Corcoran on his central issue.
Whether Scott was just trying to score political points, his letter raised more awareness about the potential conflicts from lawmakers working at lobbying firms.
