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Florida Gov. Admits Mishandling Ouster Of State's Top Cop

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TAMPA, Fla. (CBSMiami/AP) — Florida Gov. Rick Scott admitted to mishandling the ouster of the head of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).

Scott made the statement at the start of Thursday's meeting of the governor and Cabinet. He did not explain what exactly he could have done differently.

Questions have been raised about Scott's decision to force out Gerald Bailey, the former commissioner of the FDLE. Bailey said he was pushed out after resisting potentially unethical requests from the Scott administration and his re-election campaign.

By law Bailey reported to the governor and the three members of the Cabinet.

Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater asked about doing a new search for FDLE but none of the other Cabinet members supported taking that step.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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