TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A top statewide official is calling on Gov. Rick Scott to start a fresh search for a leader at the state's main law enforcement agency.
Last week, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater joined with Scott and two other officials to appoint Richard Swearingen as the new commissioner for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
But questions over the ouster of the former commissioner prompted Atwater on Tuesday to send a letter to Scott demanding a new search. Atwater in his letter encouraged Swearingen to apply.
"A professional search would give the residents of Florida a full and complete understanding of the qualifications of the person selected to lead one of the state's largest law enforcement agencies, and help reassure the employees of FDLE that the agency's leadership will be in the hands of a highly qualified individual with an unimpeachable reputation," Atwater wrote to Scott.
Scott quickly responded and said he would not support a new search. Scott did say he wants to replace three other agency officials, including the state's insurance commissioner.
The FDLE commissioner position is a Cabinet-level appointment. The Cabinet last Tuesday approved Scott's second-term recommendation of Rick Swearingen, the former head of the Capitol Police, as the new FDLE leader.
Cabinet members -- Atwater, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam -- said after the meeting they had been advised that Bailey resigned but acknowledged they didn't inquire into the circumstances.
Scott told reporters that Bailey had "resigned." Bailey, however, disputed that, telling the Tampa Bay Times that "I did not voluntarily do anything." A spokeswoman for Scott later that day issued a statement that the governor "thinks it's important to frequently get new people into government positions of leadership."
In the letter Tuesday to Scott, Atwater noted how the narrative has changed in the past week. Atwater also said he should have reached out to Bailey in December when the former commissioner left office.
"I cannot speak for the other members of the Cabinet, but to the extent that the manner in which my office reacted to the notification of his resigning contributed to the current situation, I am prepare to accept my share of the responsibility," Atwater wrote.
A spokesman for Bondi said "we are actively reviewing the matter within our office."
And Putnam, who has voiced displeasure over the past week with how the FDLE leadership change was handled, said his office is determining what, if any, action can be taken.
"And so we're evaluating what options are out there, whether it's legislative or Cabinet-based options," Putnam said in an interview with The News Service of Florida "We're gathering up all the options that are available to us under the statutes and under the constitution."