Scott Israel, Sheriff of Broward County, and Florida Governor Rick Scott. Photo: Joe Raedle / Getty Images
Speaker of the Florida House Richard Corcoran and 73 other state Republicans are asking Gov. Rick Scott to suspend Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel for “his incompetence and neglect of duty” leading up to the recent Parkland school shooting that left 17 dead.
The backdrop: Their request, sent in a letter to Scott on Sunday, comes as Israel faces mounting backlash over his office's handling of the warning signs brought to their attention before the massacre. Scott, who said on Fox News Sunday that the local Sheriff's Department needs to be held accountable, declined the request from Republicans. But he did ask the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to probe the office's response to the Feb. 14 mass shooting, Politico reports.