As Sunshine Week draws to a close, I'd like to take a moment to recognize an important aspect of keeping our government operating in the sunshine – the accountability and transparency every government agency should strive for in its day-to-day operations.
This week, I unveiled my sixth and final legislative priority, a bill designed to promote transparency in private attorney contracting. While the Attorney General's Office functions as the state's first and foremost legal representation, private attorney contracts are often used to ensure the appropriate resources and expertise can be dedicated to specific cases and issues when necessary. This piece of legislation would ensure that when those private counsel contracts are necessary, the public is aware of the circumstances and is well-informed of the decision-making process.
To enhance the transparency of the process and thus the ability of citizens to hold their government accountable, the bill requires that prior to entering into a contract with an outside legal counsel, the Attorney General must make a written determination that the representation is both cost-effective and in the public's best interest. It also provides transparency by making copies of the contract and the written determination available for public inspection on the Attorney General's website no later than five days after the date the contract becomes effective. The payment of any contingency fees received through the contract would also be posted online within 15 days.
As the state's chief legal officer, I believe it is essential to allow our state to have the best possible legal representation, even if that includes outside private counsel. I also believe it is just as important to create a procedure for holding those contracts out for public scrutiny and higher accountability. Through my Government Accountability Project, I have already begun championing this level of transparency for state and local governments throughout Florida and have posted all of the Attorney General's legal contracts for the public's easy access on our website. I encourage other government entities to do the same, and I commend the Florida Legislature for taking this opportunity to further support transparency and accountability.