Scott defends how state agencies handled Parkland suspect Cruz
BOYNTON BEACH — Florida Gov. Rick Scott, during a Thursday stop here to tout tax cuts, defended his administration’s dealings with accused Parkland mass murderer Nikolas Cruz and said he’s still a few weeks away from deciding whether to challenge Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson.
Scott visited Paradise Exteriors, a hurricane window and door business with about 50 employees, to highlight about $500 million in tax cuts in the 2018-19 budget approved Sunday by the Florida Legislature.
In Washington on Wednesday, Senate Judiciary Chairman C harles Grassley, R-Iowa, said the Florida Department of Children and Families “appears to have dropped the ball” in its dealings with Cruz in late 2016. Grassley also accused the FBI and the Broward Sheriff ’s Office of failing to act on tips about Cruz before the Feb. 14 shooting that claimed 17 lives.
DCF has said it was called in September 2016 to investigate claims Cruz was a victim of neglect by his mother, who died in 2017. DCF said it found no indicators either of abuse or neglect after consulting mental-health counselors, school personnel and law-enforcement officers who had contact with Cruz. DCF said it was assured Cruz was receiving mental-health treatment, taking medication, living with his mother and attending school when it closed the case in November 2016.
Asked Thursday about Grassley’s criticism, Scott said: “If you remember, what DCF did is they went because of their concern about whether the mother was abusing the son. They followed the law, and we disclosed all that publicly.”
Scott hammered the FBI for having “no accountability” for its failure to act on two tips about Cruz. In contrast, Scott said the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will demand accountability in its investigation of how the Broward Sheriff ’s Office acted before and during the shooting.
“We’re doing an independent investigation. I’ve asked FDLE to do that,” Scott told reporters. “They’re going to put out specific information, exactly what happened. If anyone has done anything wrong, my expec- tation is people will be held accountable. We should have the exact same expectations with the FBI.”
Scott made the remarks after promoting tax cuts that include sales-tax holidays worth an estimated $38.5 million for school supplies and hurricane supplies, and a reduction in the property tax rate local school districts are required to levy that will save taxpayers an estimated $377 million.
Scott and the Florida Senate initially proposed leaving the tax rate the same, which would have saddled homeowners with higher tax bills because of rising real estate values. House Speaker Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’Lakes, was the leading advocate for a rate reduction.
Asked about his previous position on the school tax rate, Scott said, “I believe we ought to reduce every tax we can. ... I support all tax reductions.”
Scott, a Republican facing term limits as governor this year, is widely expected to challenge Nelson, a race that
ident Donald Trump and others have encouraged Scott to enter. The candidate filing deadline is May 4.
“I just finished my legislative session,” Scott said when asked Thursday about his political plans. “As you know, most politicians are thinking about their next job. I still have some things to do in this job. I just got the budget yesterday. ... I’ll make a decision in the next few weeks.”