Austin gave Bondi until 5 p.m. Monday to notify him about Bondi’s intentions and indicated Ayala would pursue the legal matter on her own if the attorney general refused.
Late Friday, Associate Deputy Attorney General Chesterfield Smith Jr. told Austin that Bondi’s office “declines to commence such a proceeding” and “may seek to appear in any such proceeding to ensure that the laws of this state are properly interpreted and faithfully enforced.”
Austin acknowledged in a statement that the request of Bondi was largely procedural, and her response was no surprise.
“While we are realists about Attorney General Bondi’s position in this matter, we filed this request as part of the proper procedure in contesting Gov. Scott’s unlawful abuse of authority. As noted in our letter, if Attorney General Bondi fails to respond or refuses to initiate this action by the deadline, State Attorney Ayala will file an action to show that Gov. Scott’s dangerous overreach threatens the independence and integrity of Florida’s judicial system,” Austin said.