Florida’s expensive race for governor highlights lax laws

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida’s wide-open race for governor is triggering a wave of expensive television ads buys from groups taking advantage of grey areas in the state’s campaign finance laws.

Campaigns are interpreting the law so liberally that it could essentially render the laws meaningless.

So far, at least $13 million has been spent on television ads in the governor’s race that includes two Republicans and four Democrats vying for the job that will be vacated by Gov. Rick Scott.

Some of the ads are being paid for by groups that insist they have no legal obligation to disclose who’s paying for them. Other ads are being co-ordinated with campaigns relying on their own legal interpretation to sidestep laws and rules intended to place limits on ad campaigns being funded by large donors.