State worker wins suit on gun checks

Boss: ‘You work for the NRA’

Her paycheck came from the state, but a whistleblower in the office led by Republican gubernatorial candidate Adam Putnam says she was told she “worked for the NRA.”

A lawsuit is raising new questions about Putnam’s handling of concealed-carry permits. Putnam has already been under fire for calling himself a “proud NRA sellout” on Twitter and for internal reports showing his office failed to conduct complete background checks on hundreds of applications for concealedcarry permits.

Xenia Bailey, a former chief of the Bureau of License Issuance, sued the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in 2013, claiming “gross misconduct” in the department’s handling of gun permits, according to court re-

cords first reported by the Tampa Bay Times.

The agency settled the lawsuit in 2016 for $30,000, while not admitting to any of the accusations brought by Bailey. Putnam — who has been Agriculture Commissioner since January 2011 — declared his bid for governor in May 2017. He faces U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis in the Republican primary on Aug. 28.

Bailey alleged that she was given a quota to process 75 applications a day — a workload that “guaranteed abuse” — and faced retaliation when she raised deficiencies with management. Supervisors told Bailey that she works for the National Rifle Association, according to her complaint.

Among Bailey’s concerns was the “improper issuing of gun licenses to convicted felons that had been going on for years,” according to the suit.

Jennifer Meale, a spokeswoman for the Agriculture Department, said the agency launched an internal review when it learned of issues with the permit system, which she said were first flagged by an outside source and not by Bailey.

“This is an employee who resigned while being terminated.” she said. “There was no finding of fault found in the settlement.”

The Associated Press reported that a 2012 internal review found 48 employees in Putnam’s department made mistakes in issuing permits for concealed weapons, security guards and other similar licenses, including instances of employees not even looking at applications.

That wasn’t the only issue uncovered by an internal review.

An employee’s failure to conduct complete background checks resulted in 291 people getting a license to carry in 2016 and 2017 who should have been denied, according to a review by the department’s inspector general. The agency revoked those permits once the lapse was discovered.

Putnam has said the lapses did not jeopardize public safety because permit holders would need to pass another background check when they purchase a firearm.

Calls are mounting for an outside investigation to be launched into the handling of concealed-carry permits by the Agriculture Department. Democratic gubernatorial candidates Jeff Greene and Philip Levine issued statements Monday slamming Putnam.

The League of Women Voters of Florida and the Florida Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence issued a statement asking for Attorney General Pam Bondi to open an investigation.

State Sen. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando, is requesting an independent investigation by Florida’s Chief Inspector General.

Putnam