AG Bondi responds to critics after Orlando massacre
TAMPA (FOX 13) - In the week following the massacre at a gay night club in Orlando, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi says she and her office have worked nearly around the clock to get financial assistance to more than 100 victims and their families.
"It's not about money, but it is in that these people do not need to worry about how to get money to bury their loved ones," said Bondi in an exclusive interview with Fox 13.
With so many victims and families in need of help, Bondi says multiple organizations and government agencies at all levels have teamed up. They've created a sort of services triage center where victims and their families can go to receive help with everything from funeral and burial arrangements, free airline tickets, medical treatment, mental health services and lost wages.
"It's been just incredible," said Bondi. "Bi-partisan. Nobody cares about politics. They just care about helping people when you're in that environment and that's what this world should be about."
But many critics say it is political.
"Pam Bondi spent millions of tax payer dollars of our money and our straight allies' money fighting against gay marriage in the state of Florida," said Polk Pride attendee Alison Foley-Rothrock. "She put right in her briefs to the Supreme Court and the courts here in Florida that my marriage somehow causes harm to others. How would anybody feel if someone said that about their marriage?"
In 2014, Bondi fought against a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that determined Florida's ban on same-sex marriage went against the constitution. Her record, many say, flies in the face of this week's showing of solidarity with the LBGT community in Orlando.
"She says on the one hand that we are citizens like any other, post tragedy. But up until [the day of the Pulse attack] she had always fought against us. That's hypocrisy," said Foley-Rothrock.
Bondi has repeatedly defended her fight to uphold Florida's gay marriage ban. "I did my job," said Bondi, which she says meant defending the constitution of Florida.
When asked if she is working to change the way she is viewed by many in the LGBT community, Bondi said she's concentrating on the here and now.
"All I can do is help as many people as I can and I've been helping all these victims and their families and their friends and I'm going to continue to do that. It's a shame that these people want to direct their anger in the wrong direction," said Bondi. "Haters are always gonna hate, but hopefully we can change hearts and they can change hearts."