Democratic Attorney General candidate George Sheldon is criticizing incumbent Attorney General Pam Bondi for her contact with lobbying groups. The attack comes on the heels of a number of articles reporting on lobbyist influence over Attorneys General across the country.
Multiple media reports suggest corporate lawyers are successfully lobbying attorneys general across the country. The New York Times reports Bondi’s office chose not to pursue cases against numerous companies including Travelocity and Priceline after meeting with the companies’ lawyers from the legal firm Dickstein Shapiro. Sheldon says campaign funds raised from these companies by partisan attorneys general associations raise questions about the integrity of the office.
“[Bondi] said even yesterday that all of that money, which she does not deny taking, did not influence any of her decisions,” Sheldon says. “I believe an Attorney General should be held to a higher ethical standard. I believe an Attorney General should avoid even the appearance of impropriety.”
Bondi's campaign issued a response to WFSU stating, "the people of Florida know—and Attorney General Bondi's record of protecting consumers, ending pill mills and fighting human trafficking clearly shows—that she has always made her decisions based off of what is in the best interest of the people of Florida."
Sheldon pledged not to join the Democratic Attorneys General Association if he’s elected.
