Fla AG Slams Brakes On Meaningful Efforts In F'closure Fraud Probe; Political Arm-Twist Forces Pair Of Investigators Out Door; Duo Start Defense Firm

The Palm Beach Post reports:

• A lead foreclosure fraud investigator for the state said she and a colleague were forced to resign from the Florida attorney general's office, unexpectedly ending their nearly yearlong pursuit to hold law firms and banks accountable.



• Former Assistant Attorney General Theresa Edwards and colleague June Clarkson had been investigating the state's so-called "foreclosure mills," uncovering evidence of legal malpractice that also implicated banks and loan serv­icers.



• Despite positive performance evaluations, Edwards said the two were told during a meeting with their supervisor in late May to give up their jobs voluntarily or be let go. Edwards said no reason was given for the move.



• "It all happened very abruptly," said Edwards, who had worked in the attorney general's office for about three years. The foreclosure investigations were launched under former Attorney General Bill McCollum, but Edwards said she sensed changes were coming under Gov. Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi.



• "I think they wanted to put people in there that were more in line with their thinking," Edwards said.

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• Edwards and Clarkson have opened their own foreclosure defense firm based in Hollywood and hope to help homeowners with the knowledge they gained in the attorney general's office.

For more, see Foreclosure fraud investigators forced out at attorney general's office.