Warning: Constant ABSPATH already defined in /home/flanews/public_html/wp-config.php on line 34
Capitol News Service » Blog Archive » Is Romney Recording Legal?

Welcome to

Capitol News Service

Florida's Best Political Coverage on Television

 


 


 


Recent Posts

RSS Quote of the Day

  • Charles Baudelaire
    "Everything that is beautiful and noble is the product of reason and calculation."
  • Wilson Mizner
    "The best way to keep your friends is not to give them away."
  • Benjamin Disraeli
    "Silence is the mother of truth."
  • H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
    "Never forget the three powerful resources you always have available to you: love, prayer, and forgiveness."

Is Romney Recording Legal?

September 18th, 2012 by flanews

A secret recording of Republican Presidential Nominee Mitt Romney is being used against him by his political advisories. In the video Romney writes off voters who depend on the government for food, housing and health care. But is the recording legal? As Whitney Ray tells us, Florida has strict laws against secret audio recordings.

Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney is catching heat for a video captured by a hidden camera.

“There are 47 percent of people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them,” said Romney in the video.

The recording was made at a private fundraiser in Boca Raton in May. It was posted online by Mother Jones this week. The person who made the recording isn’t being named.

“These are people who pay no income tax, 47 percent of Americans pay no income tax,” said Romney.

The video recording is fine, but Florida has strict laws about recording audio. It’s illegal to record someone’s voice, but the statute says there has to be an expectation of privacy. I asked Florida politicians if they expect privacy at closed door events.

“I assume everything I say is public record,” said Governor Rick Scott.

Governor Rick Scott and Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater are both Romney supporters. Both say they’re rarely off the record.

“If anyone of us believes that there is not a camera on or a recording device or a cell phone, you know you’re living in yesterday. I think everyone needs to be on game and on the same message all the time,” said Atwater.

Even though Florida’s law is stricter than most, it’s rarely enforced. From 2001 through 2011, just 10 people were charged with making an illegal recording.

We called the state attorney in Palm Beach where the recoding was made, to ask if he will pursue charges. He says as of right now, he hasn’t received any complaints. It’s a third degree felony to make an illegal recording.

Posted in State News | No Comments »

Leave a Comment

Please note: Comment moderation is enabled and may delay your comment. There is no need to resubmit your comment.

copyright © 2016 by Capitol News Service | Powered by Wordpress | Hosted by LyonsHost.com