News

Actions

Contract fallout: major shake-up at Visit Florida

Officials fired after Pitbull controversy
Posted at 3:46 PM, Dec 15, 2016
and last updated 2016-12-16 21:25:27-05

UPDATE: Dec. 16--Visit Florida has eliminated two positions, CFO and CMO after details of the contract with Pitbull came out.  

Chairman William Talbert received a letter from the Governor today outlining leadership change recommendations and asking that Visit Florida President Will Seccombe step down.

Talbert will be working with the Visit Florida Board of Directors on next steps.

The changes will be discussed at the next Visit Florida meeting, scheduled for Jan. 9.

Original Story: In a stunning turn of events Thursday morning, Miami rapper Pitbull released via Twitter the confidential details of his secret contract with the State of Florida.

According to the contract the State tourism agency Visit Florida, which is funded by Florida taxpayers, the state paid Pitbull $1 million to act as a promotional ambassador for the Sunshine State, which included a music video featuring Florida beaches, personal appearances, and social media promotion of Florida.

There is a confidentiality clause in the contract that had prohibited state leaders from telling the public how much of their tax dollars were paid to Pitbull.

For the past year, Incoming House Speaker Richard Corcoran has been fighting to make the contract public, since it involved tax payer money and State business, which is supposed to be protected by the Sunshine Law.

On Tuesday, Speaker Corcoran sued Pitbull's management company, PDR Productions, in order to expose the truth.

"I've seen it I know what's in it, but if I discuss it they are telling me I could get a third degree felony and five years in prison," he said at the time.

Speaker Corcoran says it was something he was willing to go to jail for.

"If we lose at the court level I'd have to sit down with my wife and children but I'd probably be inclined to say what's in the contract and let them come and arrest me," he said.

Now he doesn't have to worry about that. Pitbull, after mounting pressure from the lawsuit and the media, disclosed the full contract to the world on Twitter.

 

 

ABC Action News is going through the contract line by line and will have full report on what exactly is in the contract, what the State agreed to do with your tax dollars, and what Pitbull agreed to do for the State.