Week In Review

This week, my service as a Commissioner on President Donald J. Trump’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice began. I am honored to serve as the sole state Attorney General appointed to this national Commission by United States Attorney General William P. Barr. On Oct.…

Informing you about deceptive tactics used to rip off Floridians is vital in our fight to stop scams and prevent fraud. This week, I launched a webpage dedicated to keeping consumers up-to-date about emerging scams and steps they can take to avoid fraud. Shortly after taking office, I launched…

One year ago this week, I stood on the steps of Florida’s Historic Capitol, placed my hand on the Bible, and pledged to protect Floridians and defend our state laws. It’s an oath I take seriously. One I live out daily. As we recognize this milestone, I remain as committed as I did on day one to…

This week, I convened the final meeting of the Statewide Task Force on Opioid Abuse of 2019. The meeting focused on the recovery process and innovative programs to promote and sustain long-term recovery for Floridians struggling with Opioid Use Disorder. The meeting highlighted barriers to…

We recently received some good news about our efforts to stop trafficking and rescue survivors. Florida earned an A grade from Shared Hope International for our anti-human trafficking laws and advances made to protect children from these horrific crimes. The report highlights Florida’s strong…

The holiday shopping season is in full swing and this week we issued several alerts to help Floridians avoid scams as they buy gifts and give to charity in celebration of the season. It’s important to give and to experience the joy and kindness that accompanies these holidays, but we want to…

This week is National Utility Scam Awareness Week. Utility scammers prey on unsuspecting consumers’ emotions and scare them into giving up personal and financial information. I don’t want any Floridian to feel helpless against these fraudsters, so I issued tips directly to consumers this week…

Florida is litigating one of the most comprehensive state opioid cases in the country. Our case seeks to hold the nation’s largest opioid distributors, manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies responsible for their roles in fueling the opioid crisis. This week, a Pasco County judge ruled in…

The Florida Medical Examiners released new statistics this week highlighting a decrease in drug-related deaths. Opioid-related deaths declined by 10 percent and overall it appears Florida is moving in the right direction. While this is encouraging, far too many people continue to die from drug…

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…