โI know injustice when I see itโ: Florida AG investigating college football committee over FSU playoff snub
In a step toward a potential lawsuit, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody on Tuesday demanded wide-ranging information from the College Football Playoff Selection Committee about Florida State Universityโs exclusion from the upcoming four-team playoff.
DeSantis, Cabinet honor FHP trooper who put self in harmโs way to protect runners in 10K
Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Toni Schuck was honored Tuesday morning by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Cabinet for her quick efforts in stopping a motorist who drove past road closure signs during the Skyway 10K Bridge Run earlier this month.
Florida drops appeal over federal immigration policies
As Gov. Ron DeSantis launched another broadside against the federal governmentโs immigration policies, the state on Friday said it is dropping a legal challenge against the Biden administration over immigration directives issued early this year.
Florida AG says caregiverโs $12K fraud denied elderly victim proper burial
A woman arrested in St. Johns County is accused of stealing more than $12,000 from an elderly victim and using the money for personal reasons, including paying court costs in a different case, Attorney General Ashley Moody said.
Embattled leader of Florida domestic violence coalition to repay $2 million after scandal
The Department of Children and Families (DCF) and the Office of Attorney General have settled pending civil actions involving the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Inc. (FCADV), its officers and directors, and the FCADV foundation for more than $5 million, the state announced Thursday.
Florida cruise ships could sail again by the summer, DeSantis says
A day after a federal judge heard arguments in Floridaโs request for a preliminary injunction against federal restrictions that have idled the cruise-ship industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Ron DeSantis expressed optimism Thursday that he would be successful in court and cruise ships will sail again by the summer.
Florida to feds: Allow cruise ships to operate or weโll sue
Millions typically cruise from Florida each year and the industry generates billions for the state's economy. The CDC shut down the cruise industry a year ago when several coronavirus outbreaks were tied to ships worldwide. Cruising has resumed with restrictions and protocols in much of the world with the industry leaders saying there have been no new outbreaks tied to their ships. AdCindy Prins, a University of Florida epidemiologist, defended the ban, saying it is still too early for cruise ships to operate. She said cruise lines would need to limit passengers and crew to those who can prove they are fully vaccinated to avoid spreading the virus.
Stimulus payments are coming, so scammers could be coming for your money
โWith many Americans set to receive direct payments from the federal government, we expect scammers will devise schemes to exploit the massive spending to trick recipients into parting with personal or financial information,โ Moody said. To view Scams at a Glance: Stimulus Payments in English, click here . To view Scams at a Glance: Stimulus Payments in Spanish, click here . To view Scams at a Glance: Coronavirus Scams in English, click here . To access Moodyโs Scams at a Glance webpage, click here .
Insurance, K9s and weed among Cabinet legislative priorities
The Associated Press interviewed each of the Cabinet members to discuss their 2021 legislative priorities:CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER JIMMY PATRONISOne of Patronis's top priorities reflects an issue supported by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican legislative leaders: Passing a bill to shield businesses from lawsuits related to COVID-19. He said he was inspired by a California law that went into affect last year in that state. A wide ranging food insecurity bill would create a tax credit of up to $5,000 for farmers who donate food to charities. โIt makes sure that we can go after those folks like guardians and other fiduciaries that are exceeding their scope and taking advantage and exploiting seniors,โ Moody said.
Rewards for tips upped as murders increase in Florida
With murders increasing in parts of Florida, rewards for tips resulting in homicide arrests can now reach $9,500, up from $5,000, Attorney General Ashley Moody announced Wednesday. โFlorida has experienced historic crime rate lows. But unfortunately, we have seen in certain parts of our state significant increases in murders,โ Moody said during a news conference at the Orlando Police Department. The 27 Crime Stopper organizations in the state have been offering rewards between $1,000 and $5,000 for anonymous tips that provide information leading to arrests. AdAccording to Moodyโs office, murders in Florida went up 16% in the first six months of 2020, with some of the highest rates found in Broward, Duval and Orange counties.
Florida attorney general warns of human trafficking ahead of Tampa Super Bowl
Raymond James Stadium, the site of NFL football Super Bowl LV, is shown Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)As Tampa gears up for one of the most unusual Super Bowls in history, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody warns human trafficking is as big of a concern as ever. Pandemic or not, Moody said, weekends with big events like the Super Bowl generate a lot of that money for those kinds of businesses. According to Moodyโs office, during the 2020 Super Bowl in Miami, there were 47 arrests for human trafficking-related charges. AdMoodyโs office teamed up with Uber, Airbnb and the Florida Beer Wholesalers Association to get their workers to recognize the signs of human trafficking.
Donโt pay to reserve a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, state warns
According to recent news reports , scammers used the popular event website Eventbrite to pose as county health departments and take or attempt to take payments in exchange for COVID-19 vaccine appointments. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody issued a Consumer Alert warning Floridians about the COVID-19 vaccine scam. โConsumer Protection investigators and criminal prosecutors in my office are aggressively pursuing reports of scammers taking money in exchange for phony COVID-19 vaccine reservations,โ Moody said. โIf you have been a victim of this scam, please contact my office so we can end this fraud and help protect those seeking vaccinations.โStates are overseeing the free COVID-19 vaccine distribution rather than the federal government. To help manage appointment scheduling, several counties in Florida have turned to ticketing services like Eventbrite; however, NO county is charging for vaccine reservations!
Watch out for fraud as stimulus payments deposited, mailed, Florida AG warns
Floridians arenโt the only ones excited about the stimulus payments from the federal government that have already started being deposited in bank accounts across the state. Floridians are already receiving payments both through direct deposit and mailed checks. Moody wants to make sure you can spot and avoid scams related to the federal payments. To track stimulus payments, use the IRS Get My Payment tool by clicking here . Please remember that the IRS will NOT call or email Floridians about stimulus payments.
Florida AG backs Texas challenge to election results in 4 states
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. โ Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody on Wednesday joined 16 other states in backing a last-chance effort by Texas to get the U.S. Supreme Court to block election results in four swing states where the vote went in favor of President-elect Joe Biden. โThe integrity and resolution of the 2020 election is of paramount importance,โ Moody wrote in a statement as Florida joined a friend-of-the-court brief urging the Supreme Court to allow Texas to move forward with the case. The other states are Missouri, Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court declined, without comment, to hear a challenge to Pennsylvaniaโs election results. Also, state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis backed Trumpโs efforts in an interview Wednesday with The News Service of Florida.
Consumer Alert: Avoid COVID-19 vaccine and distribution scams
Scammers may try to exploit the sense of urgency surrounding the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine to swindle those trying to protect their health. I am asking all Floridians to be on the lookout for vaccine-related scams and report fraud to our office.โMoody released the following tips to help Floridians avoid COVID-19 vaccine-related scams:Know that no COVID-19 vaccine has been approved by the FDA as of the time of this Consumer Alert; therefore, any attempt to sell a vaccine right now is not legitimate. Never send money or financial information to anyone offering a COVID-19 vaccine or claiming the ability to expedite the process. The FDA will host a meeting regarding vaccines and related biological products on Thursday to discuss Emergency Use Authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. To view the latest alerts and to stay up-to-date on COVID-19 related scams, visit the Attorney Generalโs Consumer Alert webpage by clicking here .
Florida AG says $2M recovered for consumers
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. โ Attorney General Ashley Moody said Wednesday the state has recovered about $2 million for consumers after such things as price gouging and scams related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Moodyโs office said in a news release that it has received about 5,300 contacts from consumers about prices of โessential commodities,โ such as face masks and sanitizing supplies, that are covered by a state price-gouging law. It said it has contacted merchants and online retailers about allegations of price gouging and other wrongdoing. โOur team is still assisting consumers with extreme price increases for commodities and services related to COVID-19,โ Moody said in a prepared statement. โWe will continue to work diligently to stop those exploiting this health crisis to target Floridians.โ
Florida Supreme Court refuses to reinstate death sentence for Duval County killer
Moodyโs office contended that the January Supreme Court decision backing away from the 2016 ruling should lead to reinstating the original death sentences instead of holding new sentencing hearings. But the Supreme Court on Wednesday said orders granting resentencing could not be undone. The Florida Supreme Court in October 2016, in the Hurst v. State decision, interpreted and applied the U.S. Supreme Court ruling. The state court required unanimous jury recommendations before death sentences could be imposed and dealt with a critical issue of jurors finding what are known as โaggravating factorsโ that can justify death sentences. The state Supreme Court subsequently said its decision in Hurst v. State should be applied retroactively to cases going back to 2002.
Consumer Alert: Beware of COVID-19 texting scam
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is warning consumers of yet another scam -- this time a COVID-19 texting scam. The federal government will NEVER require personal banking information in a text message to get you a stimulus payment, Moody warned. โAs long as COVID-19 remains a threat, scammers will attempt every trick in the book to exploit taxpayers and coerce them into disclosing personal information," Moody said in a news release. "I encourage all Floridians to familiarize themselves with emerging COVID-19 scams, available on our COVID-19 resource webpage at MyFloridaLegal.com/COVID19.โWhat you need to knowThe scam text message states the recipient received a $1,200 direct deposit from COVID-19 TREAS FUND and requires further action for the payment to be deposited into the account. If you do not have a filing requirement but are eligible for EIP, use the non-filers tool on the IRS website before Nov. 21 to claim the payment.
Florida election results certified
(Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)TALLAHASSEE, Fla. โ As legal battles and vote counts continue in other states, Gov. Ron DeSantis, Attorney General Ashley Moody and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis on Tuesday quickly certified the results of Floridaโs Nov. 3 general election. DeSantis and the two Cabinet members, acting as the state Elections Canvassing Commission, did not comment before agreeing in a conference call to certify the results. More than 11.14 million Floridians cast ballots in the election.
Florida attorney general signs on to Pennsylvania ballot brief
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. โ Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody signed on Monday to a brief aimed at convincing the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that allowed Pennsylvania elections officials to count some late-arriving absentee ballots. Moody was one of 10 Republicans attorneys general who filed the brief in a challenge to a decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that allowed counting absentee ballots received up to three days after the Nov. 3 election. The case is one of a flurry of lawsuits filed by Republicans alleging potential ballot fraud in various states. The GOP attorneys general in Mondayโs brief said the decision by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court โexacerbated the risks of ballot fraudโ in the key swing state. The brief was filed by Moody and the attorneys general of Missouri, Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, South Dakota and Texas.