Ungraceful exit Harris obfuscated facts and created confusion
If the letter of resignation Katherine Harris submitted to Gov. Jeb Bush had concisely and gracefully recognized her failure to read state law and follow it closely, her abrupt announcement yesterday could be dismissed as the result of an ironic blunder.
But there's more to this telling story about how Florida's famous chief elections officer failed to relinquish that position as required by election law. In a letter filled with self-promotion and partisan pandering, Harris obfuscated the facts and created confusion at a critical point in the election cycle.
After she resigned, Gov. Bush made Harris acting secretary of state Thursday -- a misjudgment, given the turmoil she has created and the potential for conflicts of interest in an election year.
Harris admitted in a press conference yesterday that she made a "mistake in not filing the letter" of resignation on July 15, the day she qualified to run for U.S. Congress from a district that includes Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties. However, Harris' Aug. 1 letter to Bush was duplicitous, claiming that her resignation was "effective on July 15," which would retroactively comply with Florida's so-called resign-to-run law. She also wrote: "To this date, I have remained vigorously engaged in my duties as secretary of state".
If the resignation was truly effective July 15, what authority did Harris have to remain "engaged" in her duties as secretary of state? During the period between July 15 and Aug. 1, was she or wasn't she secretary of state? If Harris engaged in the duties of the secretary, are the actions she took during that period valid? Does she owe the state money for any remuneration received or expenditures made on her behalf? Floridians deserve answers.
Harris' critics have questioned whether she paid adequate attention to Florida's election laws while traveling extensively on trade missions and campaigning for federal office. Now, the answer to this question is clear.
