TALLAHASSEE - Remarks made by the newly elected Democrat nominee for attorney general on the role the state's chief law enforcer can play were "reckless and irresponsible," according to the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA).
Sean Shaw, elected in his party's primary election Tuesday, commented last month in a U.S. News & World Report article that the AG position is "free from interference."
“You can just sue and go after people," he's quoted as saying. "You don't have to run it up any flagpole or get a committee or do anything. You just do it."
Spokesperson for RAGA, Zack Roday, said that Shaw is "a radical and dangerous liberal who has openly admitted he would use the power of the office to go after people."
"This is reckless and irresponsible," Roday said in a statement. "The attorney general must fairly enforce Florida law, regardless of personal political beliefs."
In Tuesday's primary, Shaw easily defeated rival Ryan Torrens. According to the Tampa Bay Times, Shaw - a consumer insurance attorney and freshman House member from Tampa - tried to get Torrens removed from the ballot through a lawsuit that alleged he had violated campaign finance law.
In November's general election, Shaw will face Republican Ashley Moody, a former circuit judge and federal prosecutor, who defeated state representative Frank White for the Republican nomination.
The winner will succeed Attorney General Pam Bondi, Republican, who is term-limited.