Week In Review
Reporting back to my bosses, the citizens of Florida, is important to me. Open government and transparency are vital components of any well-functioning democracy, and it is a duty I take seriously. This week, I had the opportunity to speak with news reporters and editors from around Florida who…
This weekend, the Drug Enforcement Administration will host the 18th National Drug Take-Back Day. Since the program’s inception, more than 11 million pounds of expired, unused or unwanted prescription medications have been removed from Americans’ medicine cabinets. This is so important because…
This week, I announced the most expansive state vaping investigation known publicly to date. As many of you know, I spent the summer traveling the state to find out what was behind the dramatic increase in vaping among our youth. According to the Florida Department of Health, nearly one in four…
This week, I convened the first meeting of the Statewide Task Force on Opioid Abuse. Florida is losing 17 lives a day to the national opioid epidemic and this new task force will help the state better coordinate efforts to stop the destruction caused by addiction. As Chair of the task force, I…
To recognize this month as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, I issued a Consumer Alert this week with tips for Floridians to protect themselves from scams on the internet. We have made significant strides in technology in the past few decades. The world is more connected now than ever…
Ending human trafficking is one of my highest priorities. It will take collaboration and efforts from leaders at the local, state and national levels to eradicate this horrific crime. As Florida’s Attorney General and Chair of the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking, I am honored to be…
National Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Awareness Week is coming to an end, but our fight to stop the deadly opioid crisis that is claiming 17 lives a day in Florida continues. Since my first day in office, we have been laser focused on combating the opioid crisis and this crucial…
Florida is home to some of the finest law enforcement men and women in our country, and we should never lose sight of the fact that our safety and security come at a tremendous price. Eighteen years ago this week, we learned just how quickly that security can be taken from us, and how selflessly…
Hurricane Dorian is a deadly storm, and thankfully Florida was spared a direct hit. But sadly, our friends in the Bahamas have experienced loss and devastation. Parts of the Bahamas were destroyed as Dorian hovered over the chain of islands for two days—lives were lost, and entire neighborhoods…
Hurricane Dorian is headed in our direction, and Floridians need to prepare now. If you haven’t already, stock up on food and water, know evacuation routes and take steps to guard against scams. One of the most common storm-related scams we see is price gouging. During a declared state of…
This week, we issued a Consumer Alert about scams targeting victims of the Equifax data breach, the largest credit-reporting data breach in our nation’s history—affecting more than half of the adults in the country. Following a multistate investigation, my office entered into a historic $600…
This week, millions of Florida students headed back to school. The beginning of a new school year is an exciting time, but it can also be stressful and overwhelming. To help families start the school year on the right track, we launched our #BacktoSchoolOAG campaign. This week-long campaign is…
Automotive fraud scams drivers out of their hard-earned money and makes our roadways less safe. Nationwide, odometer rollbacks alone are responsible for an estimated $1 billion in lost value annually. These illegal rollbacks also prevent drivers from pursuing important maintenance and service…
In recent years, we have seen increased efforts to try to demonize our law enforcement heroes. These disingenuous attacks can influence our youth and create a chasm between law enforcement and the communities they have sworn an oath to protect. It is vital to our state that we do everything in…
Supporting law enforcement is very important to me and I have made it one of my office’s top priorities. I always enjoy working with deputies and officers and learning about recent cases or just parts of their everyday life. I want our law enforcement partners to know that our state fully…
Our fact-gathering mission to find out what is behind a dramatic increase in teen vaping in Florida continued. According to the Florida Department of Health, e-cigarette use among high school students increased 78 percent from 2017 to 2018. We want to know why, and more importantly how to…
Our military members risk their lives in service to our country. Sadly, while they are deployed overseas, and even after they retire from service, scammers may target them to try to make a dishonest dollar. July is Military Consumer Protection Month, and in recognition of the month, I launched…
This week, registration opened for our 2019 Human Trafficking Summit. The annual Summit brings together local, state and national leaders working to eradicate all forms of human trafficking. Bringing together leaders in this important fight to share ideas and discuss innovative interdiction…
Robocalls are a growing problem nationwide. Not only are they annoying, the calls are often part of a scam designed to trick consumers into parting with their hard-earned cash. My office is working diligently with our federal partners to stop these illegal calls, and this week, we joined the…
Planning for our 2019 Human Trafficking Summit is underway, and we are accepting nominations now for this year’s Summit awards. Florida is fortunate to have so many people dedicated to the fight to end human trafficking and help trafficking survivors heal. I look forward to recognizing some of…