The Florida Department of Law Enforcement began an investigation Thursday into the filing of campaign papers by three Supreme Court justices, a spokeswoman for the agency confirmed.
The investigation follows calls from Rep. Scott Plakon, R-Longwood, who wrote a letter to Gov. Rick Scott in April asking for FDLE to look into reports that the judges had court employees notarize two documents in a last-minute scramble to file papers necessary to make sure the trio appeared on the ballot. Scott later forwarded the letter to FDLE without ordering the agency to begin a probe. Conservatives unhappy with the liberal bent of the court’s majority have made it clear they will try to oust Justices Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince in retention elections this November.
