Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi remains adamant that her office, not the legislature should decide how to spend $300 million. The money is Florida’s share of a $25 billion foreclosure settlement with the nation’s five largest mortgage companies. State Representative Michelle Rehwinkle Vasilinda of Tallahassee wants a portion of the money to be spent on state employee pay raises, but Bondi says that’s not going to happen.
“This is a court ordered settlement agreement that I signed. This money is to be used to help consumers in the foreclosure crisis. This money that I signed the settlement agreement for will not be used for pay raises if I have anything to do with it, which I do,” Bondi told reporters Tuesday when asked about Vasilinda's proposal.
Bondi says she’s close to reaching an agreement with lawmakers on how to use the money. Meanwhile, a national housing advocacy reports less than half the states that got foreclosure settlement dollars, have used the money for its intended purpose.
