TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - What started out as a disagreement between top Republicans over the state's next insurance commissioner is growing into a full-blown legal spat.
Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater on Wednesday took aim at Gov. Rick Scott over his move to push current commissioner Kevin McCarty out of his job by next week.
McCarty was scheduled to leave his job on May 2, but he offered to stay until a successor is picked. So far, Scott and Atwater have been at odds over who to hire as a replacement.
But Scott's top lawyer this week argued McCarty cannot stay past next Monday without approval by the governor and the three elected members of the Cabinet.
Atwater's own general counsel disputes that. Atwater said in a statement that he was "disappointed" that Scott's office was so eager to see McCarty leave that they would "quibble" over the departure date.
