Judge Will Decide Whether DeSantis Went Too Far in Ousting Prosecutor
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks at a rally and press conference outside the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee, Florida, December 18, 2017. Photo taken December 18, 2017.
TALLAHASSEE — Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi on Wednesday sued Gov. Ron DeSantis to stop him from ending the office of the state’s top prosecutor amid a widening investigation into his administration’s handling of an unusual, politically charged sexual misconduct allegation against a top general.
Bondi’s lawsuit stems from a press release issued late Monday that identified J.D. Smith as the key figure in a scandal that led to a state probe. A day later, DeSantis said he had fired Smith, who had previously been the State Attorney for the Miami-Dade Circuit Court.
In his lawsuit, Bondi said that was the wrong move. She also said that DeSantis lacked the authority to fire Smith from the office.
DeSantis on Wednesday insisted that Smith was fired without cause. He had said that in his initial press release.
“This was the right decision made after a lot of thought,” DeSantis said in a brief statement.
In the lawsuit, Bondi asserted that DeSantis had abused his authority to force her out of the office and into exile. She said in a statement that the case was not about politics but was “about restoring the rule of law and protecting citizens from politically-motivated investigations and prosecutions.”
She also said she believed in a free and open democracy and that DeSantis’ actions violated people’s First Amendment rights.
Bondi’s lawsuit focused on her concerns that “DeSantis and his fellow Democrats in Tallahassee’s State House and other state agencies will now intervene in any judicial proceedings that affect them and that their political appointees will not hesitate to use their power to fire public officials who are deemed politically inconvenient.”
The lawsuit says that her office does not hold political power and that her legal action is “only for justice.”
Bondi’s lawsuit said DeSantis fired Smith without cause and without following the procedure required by law. DeSantis on Wednesday argued
