AP by Brendan Farrington
August 1o, 2019
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s Democratic lawmakers are proving to be much worse than their Republican colleagues in complying with a state law that requires they disclose their finances.
More than five weeks after the July 1 deadline and more than a week after late notices were sent out to lawmakers, 25% of the 64 Democratic state senators and representatives failed to comply with the law, compared to only 3% of the 96 Republican lawmakers.
Florida requires its elected officials to file financial disclosure forms with the Commission on Ethics that calculate their net worth by listing assets and debt. They must also list all sources of income. By law, the forms had to be at least postmarked by July 1, but the state gives officials a grace period before automatic fines kick in. If the forms still haven’t arrived by Sept. 3, the state will begin fining officials $25 a day up to a maximum $1,500.
