Evidence revealed that many redistricting emails had been deleted, legislators' offices had privately shared information with political consultants, and legislative leaders had met in secret. A former Florida State University student who was credited with drafting and submitting a map testified that he'd never seen it.

One consultant convinced the Florida Supreme Court to close part of the trial to the public because his mapmaking emails were "trade secrets." Even the closing arguments were left to be submitted electronically, rather than in public.

A ruling is expected by month's end and an appeal is likely, no matter the outcome. It's probably too late for any district boundaries to be redrawn for this year's election.

Regardless, it's clear that legislative leaders didn't honor their promises to operate openly and aboveboard when redrawing the state's political maps. Voters have good reason to feel cheated — and to be mad as hell.

Bogdanoff back for more

"State Sen. Maria Sachs, a Democrat, defeated Republican Ellyn Bogdanoff in one of the most bitterly-fought and expensive legislative battles of the 2012 campaign." "Ellyn Bogdanoff announces bid to return to state Senate."

Greer takes aim at Crist

"Felon and former Florida GOP Chairman Jim Greer takes aim at Charlie Crist in a new book, accusing the former governor of betraying him and repeating long-held rumors about Crist's private life."

Those are some of the highlights of "The Chairman: The Rise and Betrayal of Jim Greer," which recounts Greer's tumultuous years as chairman of the Florida Republican Party before he was forced out and sentenced to 18 months in prison for stealing party funds.

It rehashes old gossip about Crist's sex life, including allegations that he had affairs with men and had a daughter out of wedlock. Both rumors, Crist has said, are untrue. . . .

Greer worked in the state party office — not the Governor's Office — but kept in close contact. When reports surfaced that a young woman was claiming to be Crist's daughter, political aides were afraid she'd show up at the Capitol and demand to see Crist, according to Greer.

Two staffers wanted to hire a private investigator to follow the woman to a Tallahassee bar, snatch up her glass and have it tested for DNA, according to the book.

Greer's advice: Don't do it. What if it confirmed Crist was her father?

Greer said he does not know whether the test was conducted but said he thought the young woman was Crist's child.

Cantor’s shocking loss likely killed Immigration reform this year

"Immigration reform was already endangered in Congress, but House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s shocking primary likely killed it this year." "Analysis: Why Eric Cantor’s shocking loss likely kills immigration reform this year."

Will there be a Cantor-effect in Florida?

Jeff Henderson: "David Brat might have knocked off Eric Cantor this week in one of the biggest congressional upsets in years but it will be hard for a repeat performance when Florida voters hit the polls for the primaries in August."

Florida has certainly seen candidates come out of nowhere to defeat congressmen in the primaries before. In fact it happened in 2012 when Ted Yoho defeated Cliff Stearns. But it will be hard for a repeat performance this time out.

Poll: Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush Florida Favorites

"A national poll from St. Leo University finds former Gov. Jeb Bush, R-Fla., leading the pack of potential Republican presidential candidates, but he and other GOP contenders trail former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in possible 2016 matchups. The poll shows Clinton with double-digit leads over the leading Republican contenders." "Jeb Bush Leads GOP Pack But Hillary Clinton has the Edge in National 2016 Poll." See also "Florida Presidential Primary Preview: Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush Florida Favorites."

The Sunshine Economy

"WLRN put together a special education hour of the Sunshine Economy this week. The conversation ranged from a talk with Broward County’s superintendent about Common Core to a chat with a group of high school students about diversity in the classroom." "The Sunshine Economy: Common Challenges, Changing Classrooms."

"An expensive — and nasty — race filled with negative ads"

"The arms race continues between Rick Scott and Charlie Crist."

Crist, trying to win back the governor’s mansion as a Democrat after a mid-life political conversion, raised more than $2 million in cash in May for his campaign and a closely aligned political committee, newly filed records show.

Scott, trying to win a second term and keep Republicans in total control of state government, brought in about $1.16 million in cash for his campaign and the sister “Let’s Get to Work” committee. But the state Republican Party, which is expected to play a huge role in Scott’s campaign, said it collected $3.54 million during the month.

The money will help fuel what is expected to be an expensive — and nasty — race filled with negative ads. As a sign of what’s to come, the Let’s Get to Work committee reported spending about $3.1 million on advertising in May, after spending about $5.1 million on ads in April.

The best money can buy

"Adam Putnam opens second fundraising committee, conducts first round of robocalls."

Raw political courage

Kevin Derby: "Florida Delegation to Hold Hearing on VA Medical Centers."

Another poll shows race between Crist and Scott tightening up

43 percent favor Rick Scott, 41 percent Charlie Crist, with 16 percent undecided. "FL Governor’s Race – Poll Results."

Scott remains an unpopular Governor, although his approval ratings are not quite as bad as they have been at some times during his term. Only 39% of voters think he's doing a good job to 48% who disapprove, up from 33/55 in late September. Those are still numbers that would generally have you headed for defeat. But Crist has seen a precipitous decline in his image with voters in the state. Where they were closely divided on him last fall with 43% rating him favorably and 42% unfavorably, now just 32% of voters see him in a positive manner with his negatives spiking to 48%.

If there's a silver lining for Crist it's that the 16% of voters who remain undecided are not very big on Scott- he has just a 23% approval rating with them to 51% who disapprove. The undecideds also skew female, Hispanic, and younger and they voted for Barack Obama 43/39 in 2012. Even though Crist's support has been knocked down, Scott still hasn't been able to build his up below the l0w 40s. It's a toss up but there are at least a few things that could go Crist's way.

It’s especially true in scammer-rich Florida.

Had Scott’s campaign-finance team realized this, someone might have vetted (or Googled) James Batmasian. He pleaded guilty in 2008 to failing to collect and pay $253,000 in federal withholding taxes regarding his Boca Raton investment company’s employees. Batmasian spent eight months in prison, paid a $30,000 fine and had his law license suspended in Florida.

• The Gator Hunt Gaffe: In September, Scott canceled a $25,000-per-donor “private gator hunt” fundraiser after questions arose about the classiness of the event (alligators are a de facto Florida symbol) and the legality of it (gators are a protected species, and hunting permits are limited and supposed to be awarded by lottery).

• The Execution Delay Debacle: Days later, word got out that Scott delayed the execution of convicted Miami murderer Marshall Lee Gore so that Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi could raise funds for her reelection. Scott, who then scheduled a Broward fundraiser for himself on that day, said he didn’t know the reason Bondi’s office requested the delay.

• The Mike Fernandez Fiasco: The Coral Gables billionaire and million-dollar donor to Scott was the campaign’s top finance chairman, but he quit amid a personality dispute in March. Along the way, some of his emails to the campaign leaked out in which he expressed displeasure with the reelection effort’s direction and with the staffers, who were allegedly overheard by a Fernandez business partner joking around in mock Mexican accents on the way to a Chipotle in Miami. The campaign denied the claims.

"Despite some nice wins under her belt"

Jeff Henderson argues that, "despite some nice wins under her belt -- including Amanda Murphy picking up a House seat and Rick Kriseman becoming mayor of St. Petersburg -- [Florida Democratic Party Chair Allison] Tant has, so far, failed to build her party." "Allison Tant: It's My Party and I'll Cry (Only) if I Want to."

Flip-flopper on an international scale

Rick Scott is a new man: "Gov. Rick Scott approves in-state tuition for children of illegal immigrants."

This from the charming fellow who "gave his blessing to the practice of asking suspects who are stopped by authorities for proof of their citizenship, a measure suggested in a recent Arizona-style immigration bill proposed in his state." "Rick Scott Takes Page Out Of Jan Brewer's Illegal Immigration Playbook."

What's a FlaBagger to do?

"Gov. Rick Scott, who faced intense criticism for rejecting federal money for high-speed rail from Tampa to Orlando, has new train troubles for favoring a controversial rail project on Florida's east coast." "Opposition strengthens to Gov. Scott's All Aboard Florida plan."

Trust us

"Miami-Dade voters say they want to be able to decide whether to give Miami Dade College money for renovations and expansion, but county legislators in Tallahassee said they won’t allow a referendum." "Herald Poll: On pot, plebiscite and power lines, politicians out of sync with Miami-Dade voters."

ALJ Recommendation: "Rivera broke ethics laws"

"A state administrative law judge has recommended that the Florida ethics commission pursue most — but not all — of its remaining charges against former Rep. David Rivera." "Judge: Rivera broke ethics laws with 'corrupt intent'." "The recommendation goes to the state Commission on Ethics, which will make a final determination." "Judge: Rivera received improper travel payments from state."

We're sure North Carolinians appreciate this

"Florida Politicians Take Sides in North Carolina Senate Race".

The best they can do?

Uber-conservative former Jeb Bush speechwriter Lloyd Brown jokes that "the end of the world may be nigh: Uber-liberal politician Sandy D'Alemberte and [he] agree on something. It is that state Sen. John Thrasher would be a great president for Florida State University." "Why Not the Best for FSU?"

Meanwhile, the "consultant brought in to help find FSU a new president, abruptly resigned from the job Monday." The consultant resigned

had advised the committee that Thrasher's aspiration for the job was keeping other desired candidates from wanting to apply.

Thrasher, 70, is an influential figure in state politics. Currently chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, he served as House speaker from 1998 to 2000. Also, he is chairman of Gov. Rick Scott's re-election campaign and previously served as chairman of the Republican Party of Florida.

Latest web ads in gubernatorial race

Kevin Derby: "With five months to go in the Florida gubernatorial contest, the two major parties took to cyberspace on Monday, launching new Web videos attacking the leading candidates in the race." "Parties Attack With Web Ads in Gubernatorial Race."

Since March, the Republican has pumped close to $13 million into the earliest-ever blitz of television attack ads in a Florida gubernatorial contest. The aim is to take enough skin off Democratic challenger Charlie Crist so he can't fully recover even when his ads kick in sometime after July 4.

More than $6 million in television ads has been steered into the crucial Orlando and Tampa TV markets with 10 ads attacking Crist for tuition hikes, supporting Obamacare and opting to seek the U.S. Senate in 2010 instead of a second term as governor.

South Florida's more expensive Miami-Broward and West Palm Beach markets have drawn $2.5 million, including Spanish-language ads. One spot that aired before a Bill Clinton fundraiser mocked Crist for saying in 1998 the country would be "better off" if the president resigned.

Outraised 3-to-1 thus far, Crist's campaign is calculating that the former GOP governor has enough popularity and name-ID banked with voters to wait out the early barrage.

Wanna hazard a guess?

It is unclear "whether state officials will fight the regulation requiring a 38 percent cut in Florida’s carbon emissions by 2030. A spokesman for the Florida attorney general’s office confirmed to Watchdog.org the state is already involved in litigation over a previous EPA air pollution rule. The spokesman wouldn’t say whether Attorney General Pam Bondi will take on the new federal edict." "Florida Officials Mum on EPA Rule; Natural Gas Wins Big."

Crist has a Cuban voter problem

"Charlie Crist has a Cuba problem and a Cuban voter problem, a new Miami Herald/El Nuevo Herald poll of Miami-Dade’s electorate shows." "Graphic: Miami-Dade County Voter Poll."

Bush and Rubio campaign checklists

See "2016 campaign checklist: Jeb Bush" and "2016 campaign checklist: Marco Rubio".

Scott fan club getting desperate

The usually thoughtful Nancy Smith reaches a bit with this one: Nancy Smith "Prison Visit: The Boys in Charlie's Band."

Potential Cuban oil disaster

"The scenario is fiction, but the high-level attention it is drawing to a looming Florida threat is real. . . . Cuba has announced its intentions to begin exploratory drilling in late 2015 ­— without access to the top-of-the-line equipment that would help reduce the chances of a spill. The U.S. trade embargo prevents that." "Graham fears Cuban oil disaster".

"Political Dominos Could Fall"

"Political Dominos Could Fall if FSU Selects John Thrasher."

Politicians have offered tax breaks and incentives to theme parks and restaurants. They celebrate the openings of convenience stores.

Just last week, Gov. Rick Scott signed a budget that boosted taxpayer-funded promotion of tourism to a record-high $74 million.

This is simply doubling down on low wages — and using public money to do so.

Everyone knows that tourism is the mother's milk of this region. Cartoon characters and thrill rides put us on the map. But they have also placed us at the bottom of America's wage scales.

We [Orlando] have the lowest average wage of any major city in America and the greatest percentage of workers making less than $25,000.

As a result, Central Florida is full of families living on the edge — one car repair or E.R. visit from homelessness or poverty.

FSU's "bizarre" presidential search

"Florida State presidential search called 'bizarre'." See also "Thrasher denies circumventing FSU presidential search process."

Who knew?

"Cornelia Corbett is a name associated with philanthropy in Tampa, chiseled as it is into buildings at the Tampa Museum of Art and at a North Tampa preparatory school. Renown, in fact, seems to run in her family. The name of Corbett’s great-great-great-grandfather — Elbridge Gerry — appears on the Declaration of Independence and inspired a term that’s at the center of a court battle under way in Tallahassee: Gerrymander." "Philanthropist’s family linked to historical controversy."

"Sordid redistricting process"

The Tampa Trib editors write that "the testimony in a Tallahassee courtroom over the past several weeks shows the 2012 redistricting process was pretty much business as usual. Secret meetings were held, documents were deleted and a fake email account may have been created in an apparent attempt to hide the fact that Republican consultants may have helped draw a district map. . . . Regardless of the decision, the trial has been a blow to any notion that the newly passed constitutional amendments diminished the influence of partisan politics in a process critical to ensuring that representation in our political bodies is a true reflection of the populace." "Bring sordid redistricting process into the sunshine."

Meanwile, Martin Dyckman reports that "Republican governors like Rick Scott and ALEC-infested legislatures like Florida’s are ingenious at making it difficult and inconvenient to vote. "

And there are those who would make it even harder.

One Florida congressman, Ted Yoho, said during his 2012 campaign that only property owners should be allowed to vote.

Elsewhere on the radical right, there’s a growing fervor to repeal the 17th Amendment and have legislatures rather than the people choose U.S. senators again. Ted Cruz and Antonin Scalia, among others, are identified with this.

Call that nutty if you like, but those people are quite serious. Cruz wants to be president. Scalia sits on the Supreme Court.

Obvious obstacles to the ballot box such as voter ID, limited polling places and restricted voting hours aren’t the only devices for subverting your right to vote.

The other way is to waste your vote by gerrymandering it into irrelevance.

The current court challenge to the congressional district map that Florida Republicans contrived offers a glaring example.

Mitchell Berger point man in the effort to make climate change a 2014 campaign issue

Anthony Man: "Fort Lauderdale’s Mitchell Berger didn’t plan to become a point man in the effort to make climate change a 2014 campaign issue. But he’s there, thanks to a confluence of events." "Mitchell Berger invests to make climate change a political issue."

"House of Cards" in Hooterville

Scott Maxwell on the recent grand jury investigation of the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority: he writes that it is "a 543-page barn burner filled with allegations of corruption, power and greed. It involved limousine rides, booze, romance and millions and millions of dollars." He continues:

If the storyline was playing out on Netflix, I'd probably grab my popcorn and delight in watching.

Unfortunately, the reaction I had was less delight and more nausea.

That's partly because the characters in this real-life saga aren't nearly as appealing as the ones we see on TV.

While Hollywood schemers are savvy, sophisticate and subtle, these alleged schemers here in Orlando look obvious and oafish. You find yourself thinking: How can these guys orchestrate a coup? I'm not sure they can spell "coup."

I mean, who calls a limousine to a supposedly covert meeting?

Who utters sentences like: "Are you telling the vice chairman no?"

One of the key scenes detailed in the report takes place at a beer bar in Baldwin Park, where investigators say Batterson, the indicted former vice-chairman, tried to arrange a quid pro quo.

Not some hip, sleek ultra lounge, mind you. Or some out-of-the-way dive. A high-traffic beer bar named CaddyShanks where yuppie Baldwin Parkers walk by with their labradoodles to see and be seen. . . .

But Batterson wasn't alone at the bar that night. In this political thriller, there were cameos aplenty.

State Rep. Jason Brodeur and former Rep. Chris Dorworth were there — and departed in a limousine ... from the Baldwin Park beer bar, mind you.

Congressman John Mica's daughter, D'Anne, also shows up — though she later said she was just saying hello, since she's in a Bible study with Batterson's sister and mother.

Callahan said he was told that Dorworth — whose girlfriend works for the state's transportation secretary — had inside connections with the state.

Wink, wink. Nod, nod. Somebody get us another round of Cajun fries from Five Guys.

"House of Cards," this is not.

First, nowhere in this 543-page report does anyone seem focused on the only two things they were supposed to be focusing on — keeping tolls low and making commutes easier.

Second, Florida's top transportation officials — Secretary Ananth Prasad and District Secretary Noranne Downs — seem up to their eyeballs in all this (though Downs is portrayed as more of a yes-person than an independent thinker). Gov. Rick Scott is still MIA on all this, leaving State Attorney Jeff Ashton and a grand jury clean up his mess.

Expected FlaGOP candidate for governor in 2018 dances around climate change

"Adam Putnam, one of the four statewide elected officials in the Florida Cabinet, said Wednesday the world’s climate is clearly changing. He said it is “probably” been exacerbated by human activity – the conclusion of a vast majority of scientists – but isn’t sure how much of it is 'man versus some natural climactic cycle.'"

Putnam, a former top Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives, is the state’s elected agriculture commissioner. He’s seeking election this fall, and is widely expected to be a Republican candidate for governor in 2018.

You remember Mr. Putnam: