(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) - A Florida state senator wants to make it clear that emails and other records kept by newly elected officials are public records that cannot be destroyed.
Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, on Wednesday filed a bill that would apply the state's public records law to someone even if they don't take office right away.
Gov. Rick Scott last August ordered an investigation into why emails written by Scott and his transition team were deleted and whether the emails could be recovered.
The emails were written before Scott took office in January 2011.
They were lost when the private company handling email for Scott's transition office shut down the accounts.
The investigation is still ongoing, but documents released so far show that emails were accidentally deleted from an iPad used by Scott.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
