Print Version

TALLAHASSEE -- Attorney General Bob Butterworth today expressed profound gratitude to the people of Florida for allowing him to hold the office he will vacate at midnight.

"The past 16 years have been the most productive and rewarding of my professional life," Butterworth said. "I am deeply indebted to the people of this state for granting me the privilege of serving as their attorney general for four terms."

Butterworth, who is prohibited by term limits from running again for the office, will step down as the longest serving attorney general in Florida history. He is resigning two months short of completing his current four-year term to accommodate his candidacy for a seat in the Florida Senate.

Butterworth also acknowledged his debt to the hundreds of people who worked with him in the Department of Legal Affairs during the past decade and a half.

"Florida is extremely blessed to have the caliber of dedicated men and women who have been instrumental in carrying out the demanding responsibilities of the attorney general's office," he said.
The attorney general noted that during his tenure, three different men served as Florida's governor; fellow Democrat Lawton Chiles and Republicans Bob Martinez and Jeb Bush.

"I'm pleased to say that I enjoyed a warm, cooperative working relationship with each of those who occupied the governor's office. It was always the best interest of the people, not party labels, that guided our mutual efforts," Butterworth said.

Among his proudest achievements as attorney general, Butterworth cited the landmark settlement of Florida's lawsuit against the tobacco industry, which included $13.5 billion in payments to the state, significant changes in tobacco marketing and industry funding of anti-smoking campaigns. Led by the late Gov. Chiles and Butterworth, Florida was the second state in the nation to file suit against Big Tobacco and secure a settlement.

"The most important legacy of that agreement is a healthier Florida," Butterworth said. "Since the tobacco agreement, we have seen dramatic declines in the incidence of underage smoking. Because most people who do not smoke as youngsters never take it up as adults, the drop in underage smoking bodes well for our future."

Butterworth said he was also proud of his achievements in the area of consumer protection. Through his economic crimes unit, the attorney general collected hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for unlawful business practices. In one antitrust case alone, several companies paid $34.5 million to Florida's schools for conspiring to fix the price of milk sold in school cafeterias. His crackdowns on fraudulent sweepstakes and deceptive automobile leasing practices resulted in multi-million dollar settlements and helped spur nationwide reforms in both of those industries. The attorney general also spearheaded the effort to create the Florida Lemon Law Arbitration Program, which under his direction has produced more than $230 million in relief to Florida car buyers.

Butterworth pointed to the preservation of the Peace River in southwest Florida and Fort George Island near Jacksonville as significant accomplishments in environmental protection. He also successfully challenged a private landowner's effort to block public access to Fisheating Creek in south Florida. Those and other accomplishments earned him conservationist of the year awards from both the Florida Wildlife Federation and the Florida Audubon Society, as well as the Bill Sadowski Growth Management Award from the 1,000 Friends of Florida.

Butterworth said he was especially pleased to be able to help shape criminal justice reforms that have contributed to a steady decline in Florida's crime rate for the past several years. He also was instrumental in guaranteeing greater rights for crime victims and, through his Office of Crime Victim Services, significantly improved victim advocacy and the process under which crime victims are compensated.

"I'd like to think that my years as attorney general have made a positive impact on the quality of life for all Floridians," he said.