Bill McCollum Stays in the Shadows During Sunshine Week

From FDP:

Florida's chief officer of enforcing open sunshine laws, Bill McCollum, was noticeably absent at today's annual Sunshine Appreciation Lunch in Tallahassee, sponsored by the First Amendment Foundation. But this is no surprise given Bill McCollum's record.

"Why is Bill McCollum so scared of putting some sunshine in these dark corners? Good things never come out of shady places," Florida Democratic Party spokesman Eric Jotkoff said. "Bill McCollum doesn't walk-the-walk and today he did not even talk-the-talk when it comes to transparency in government. Where was the officer in charge of enforcing Florida's open government laws?"

Last year, the Palm Beach Post suggested that McCollum might be "stonewalling" when his office told reporters they would have to pay $770 for copies of his public schedule, and added that the request "would take at least a week to purge secret information before the file could be viewed."

At the time, First Amendment Foundation attorney Florence Snyder called McCollum's attempts to hide his schedule "transparent nonsense." Snyder said "This is the officer in charge of enforcing Florida's open government laws. That sort of speaks to itself to the seriousness in which Gen. McCollum's staff takes transparency."

Bill McCollum's office also slowed down efforts by the Florida Democratic Party to get the truth about his no-bid contract to his political consultant for his TV ads paid for with state funds. Only after a letter was sent requesting more information, and specifically citing the public records statutes his office is supposed to enforce, were additional documents turned over by Attorney General McCollum.

McCollum also has a long history of trying to hold himself and his fellow politicians less accountable, including voting to make it harder for ethics complaints to be filed against elected officials.

BACKGROUND:

McCollum First Tried to Charge A "Hefty Fee" To View His Schedule. "Viewing McCollum's complete schedule since he took office in January 2007 would cost $770, including a down payment of $500, McCollum's staff initially said this week in response to a public records request for the schedule. The staff also said it would take at least a week to purge secret information before the file could be viewed. Asked why the office that oversees the state's Sunshine Laws imposes such a hefty fee for records that are in the public domain, spokeswoman Ryan Wiggins said: 'For security reasons.'" [Palm Beach Post, 06/26/09]

Palm Beach Post: "Sounds More Like Stonewalling" From "The Guy Who Is In Charge Of Seeing That Public Officials Comply With Florida's Open Records Law." "One big difference between Ms. Sink and Mr. McCollum ... is that when The Post requested copies of her official calendars since she took office in January 2007, Ms. Sink responded within an hour - completely and at no charge. Mr. McCollum's office told The Post that it would take at least a week to provide the information about his schedule from the beginning of 2007, and that it would cost $770. This from the guy who is in charge of seeing that public officials comply with Florida's open records laws. ... Why would it cost so much and take so long to get Mr. McCollum's complete schedule? 'For security reasons,' a spokesman said. That sounds more like stonewalling." [Editorial, Palm Beach Post, 06/30/09]

McCollum Failed to Turn Over All Public Records On His No-Bid Ad Contract to the Florida Democratic Party. After criticism of McCollum's no-bid ad contract to his political consultant the Florida Democratic Party requested all records pertaining to the ad contract. After receiving only a small amount of the records requested, the FDP wrote the Attorney General "Pursuant to Florida's Sunshine Laws (Florida Statute 119.011), I expect that you will promptly correct your incomplete disclosures by providing digital copies of any and all documents, emails, communications and other related records which detail the creation and crafting of this ad campaign." Following this letter, more documents were turned over. [Letter to Attorney General McCollum, 3/23/09]

McCollum Voted To Make It Harder to File Ethics Complaint Against Legislators. In 1997, McCollum voted to adopt "new rules that make it more difficult for outsiders to bring ethics complaints against lawmakers, and easier for lawmakers to dismiss complaints that are brought. Critics of the new rules charged that they increase the likelihood that serious misconduct will not be investigated and violators will go unpunished." [Vote 413, 9/18/97; Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 9/19/97; New York Times, 9/19/97]