DeSantis appointee Andrew Bain says he won't help his elected replacement Monique Worrell take office

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

DeSantis appointee says he won’t help his elected replacement take office

By KATE PAYNE
Updated 4:52 PM EST, December 9, 2024

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A state attorney in Florida told his staff he can’t legally help his elected replacement take over his seat because Gov. Ron DeSantis had already suspended the Democrat from the office, according to an internal email obtained by The Associated Press.

An executive order issued by DeSantis in 2023 suspending then-State Attorney Monique Worrell from office is still in effect, argued state attorney Andrew Bain in a message sent to staff on Monday. The governor appointed Bain to the 9th Judicial Circuit to replace Worrell, who beat him in last month’s election to retake the Orlando metro area’s top prosecutor’s office.

“While I accept the results of the election and wish to do everything I can to ensure the Office is successful going forward, I do not yet feel I can assist her in that transition,” Bain wrote.

Worrell’s new term is slated to begin Jan. 7, 2025. She is one of two elected state attorneys, both Democrats, who DeSantis has removed from office. DeSantis said Worrell failed to prosecute minors and didn’t seek mandatory minimum sentences for gun crimes, putting her central Florida district in danger. She disputed his criticism as false and politically driven.

-snip-

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/desantis-florida-prosecutors-election-state-attorney-transition-9ebc4016c06b7b775523556fb8331620