So I Figured, Why Not Call Him?

This afternoon I talked to Tom Pelham, secretary of the state Department of Community Affairs, and asked him why it wasn't a bad idea for him to be arguing cases from his private law practice (see blog item below, and Saturday's news article).

Pelham replied:

(1) These were the last two cases on appeal remaining from his private practice, which he shut down as fast as he could once Gov. Charlie Crist tapped him for the DCA job. He notified Crist's transition team of the cases and was allowed to finish them.

(2) Neither case conflicts with his role as DCA secretary -- neither case involves the DCA's authority. One is a routine land-use case in Pinellas, the other is a challenge to beach renourishment in the Panhandle. He is on the side of defending the state law in that case.

(3) He took personal time for the case he's already argued and will again for the second and final argument. He said he felt an ethical obligation to see the cases through, and in fact would not have taken the state job if he couldn't have finished them.

Seems to me that if Pelham's private cases were more extensive and ongoing, or involved a challenge to the very laws he is supposed to be enforcing, this would be a bigger problem. As it is, he got dispensation on the front end and is about to wrap them up on his own time. Am I crazy about a sitting DCA secretary representing a developer in court? No, but it seems like a one-time and limited thing that will not be an issue any more.

Agree or disagree? 

Comments

[John Gibson]

agree. He put everything up front and played by the rules. what more could you want?