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TALLAHASSEE, FL – Attorney General Bill McCollum today issued the following statement on the upcoming statewide grand jury on public corruption, which is scheduled to begin jury selection next week:

"Floridians should be able to be proud of the public officials who serve their state and their communities, not ashamed of the latest scandal by someone in elected office. We absolutely should expect better of those we have chosen to lead us.

"The grand jury will need to examine the blatant theft of public resources and, perhaps most importantly, the illicit sources of influence upon public officials and how to lift the cloud of scandal that has been present for far too long.

"Led by my Office of Statewide Prosecution and working cooperatively with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, as well as local law enforcement and Florida’s state attorneys, the grand jury will work toward restoring the public’s trust in its government. I anticipate excellent work from these men and women who will undertake this responsibility, and I know Florida will benefit greatly from their efforts."

The Statewide Grand Jury was convened by the Florida Supreme Court in early December to examine a list of specific crimes including bribery, extortion, unlawful compensation for official behavior, corruption by threat against a public servant, official misconduct, falsifying records, and misuse of confidential information. The grand jury will be comprised of jurors summoned from the 11th, 15th, 17th and 20th judicial circuits. The presiding judge will be the Honorable Victor Tobin, Chief Judge in and for the 17th Judicial Circuit.

Additional information about the statewide grand jury, including a tip line to report public corruption at 1-800-646-0444, is online at: http://myfloridalegal.com/19thstatewidegrandjury