In a brief news conference with reporters outside the capitol this afternoon, Governor Rick Scott said that Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll resigned from office because of her former association with Allied Veterans of the World, a Jacksonville-based Internet sweepstakes nonprofit at the center of a multi-state federal investigation. He said he won't name a replacement until after the legislative session ends, which isn't until May 3.
Scott spoke just moments after a news conference took place at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Orlando Regional Operations Center. The conference was led by FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey and Attorney General Pam Bondi, who discussed the ongoing investigation in-depth.
So far, law enforcement agents have arrested 57 people in 23 Florida counties and five other states on charges that include illegal gambling, racketeering and money laundering. Bailey said elected officials could also be targeted as the investigation continues.
This article appears in Mar 14-20, 2013.
