TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Gov. Rick Scott is going to have to qualify for the ballot without knowing the outcome of a legal challenge to an ethics law.
Circuit Judge John Cooper on Wednesday said there’s no emergency that requires him to rule in the case by the start of qualifying on June 16.
The law allows elected officials to place assets in a blind trust instead of reporting each investment publicly. Scott is the only candidate using a blind trust.
The lawsuit contends the blind trust law violates a 1976 constitutional amendment that requires politicians to disclose their finances.
Cooper said candidates run a risk if they use a blind trust while qualifying. Scott’s re-election campaign says Scott will follow any court ruling.
Cooper has set a June 19th hearing in the case.
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