Scott Maxwell
@Scott_Maxwell
Orlando Sentinel columnist. Father. Husband. Tar Heel. Runner. Card player. Bourbon drinker. BS detector.
Like many, I'm going to miss Alex Trebek - the consummate host with an easy-going style that always kept the show lively and moving along. I feel fortunate to have a pretty kick-ass memento.
This is why journalists get public records, make copies and get screen grabs.
Official records from former state Rep. Carolina Amesty’s forgery case have disappeared from the public’s view, a little over a week after the 30-year-old Republican asked a judge to help give her a fresh start. orlandosentinel.com/2025/07/21/off…
In case you missed this. This is happening - and being exposed - because Florida journalists are asking tougher questions about how tax dollars are being spent than state officials who are violating auditing laws. Fla's current GOP leaders only cosplay as "fiscal conservatives."
The @FLSERT pulled all Alligator Alcatraz contracts off the state's public contracts website after reporters asked probing questions about the payments. The contract cover sheets were reposted Saturday but not the pages containing greater detail.
Happy 150th! One of my favorite Florida facts is that the author of the 1887 book Oranges & Alligators: Sketches of South Florida never got farther south than Orlando. Florida was America’s last frontier, it’s still a new idea, and we’re still making such a mess of it.
There's a plaque at Lake Eola that says Orlando was named for a soldier who, by most accounts, didn't exist. Welcome to Fantasyland. In honor of the City Beautiful's 150th birthday next weekend, here's 150 years of O-Town history condensed into one column. orlandosentinel.com/2025/07/17/hap…
There's a plaque at Lake Eola that says Orlando was named for a soldier who, by most accounts, didn't exist. Welcome to Fantasyland. In honor of the City Beautiful's 150th birthday next weekend, here's 150 years of O-Town history condensed into one column. orlandosentinel.com/2025/07/17/hap…
Florida law demands audits on "emergency" spending deals. That has not happened. GOP leaders have repeatedly claimed that public officials who don’t follow the law should be removed from office - unless they’re the ones flouting it. orlandosentinel.com/2025/07/15/all…
It seems the call is coming from inside the house...
I can't stop watching this epic video that MSNBC just played of Dan Bongino, Kash Patel, and Pam Bondi about the Jeffrey Epstein files. Share it before the DOJ demands X take it down.
bUt wE'rE fIsCaL cOnSErVaTIveS
Had to run down to Miami tonight—scored a $117 rate at the Marriott. Driving Alligator Alley, I couldn’t help but think about Alligator Alcatraz and its nightly cost per detainee: 🧾 At 5,000 detainees: $246.58 👥 At 3,000: $410.96 🐊 At current 750: $1,643.84 That’s based on…
Prosecutors in Amesty case seek more time, citing ‘ongoing investigation’ trib.al/taI2CyI
Prosecutors in Amesty case seek more time, citing ‘ongoing investigation’ trib.al/taI2CyI
Questioning injustice, no-bid contracts, missing due process, environmental concerns & violations of state auditing laws is fair. Holocaust hyperbole is not, says Fla's @holocaustcenter "Auschwitz is not a rhetorical device. It is not a catch-all term for injustice or cruelty."
Yes, it's frustrating to witness politicians who don't do what they have said. "Here are 53 times Trump said he’d end Ukraine war within 24 hours or before taking office" cnn.com/2025/04/25/pol…
Trump: "I am very disappointed with President Putin. I thought he was somebody that meant what he said. And he'll talk so beautifully and then he'll bomb people at night. We don't like that."
There is a human price to providing you with cheap produce.
These nuns may be in their 80s, but they're still fighting for social justice. And now they have a generation of leadership to carry on their legacy. orlandosentinel.com/2025/07/11/hop…
I’m also now told it’s unclear whether Kash would want to remain at his post should Bongino actually leave…I’m told both Kash and Bongino want Bondi out.
Dan Bongino is considering leaving his post at the FBI amid the Epstein docs drama, two sources familiar with the situation confirm to me. Both are speculating he might not be back, though it seems like no formal decision has been made. He’s effectively “gone,” one person said.…
This is required by law. And it's not complicated. Two sentences, clear as day. Florida - where "freedom" means not having to follow the law.
Florida's auditor failed to look at illegal immigration expenditures orlandosentinel.com/2025/07/11/flo…
These nuns may be in their 80s, but they're still fighting for social justice. And now they have a generation of leadership to carry on their legacy. orlandosentinel.com/2025/07/11/hop…
Boy, does this story bolster concerns environmentalists have long raised about this foundation becoming more of a political tool for the right than a defender of the planet. (Also, sponsors of the Megyn Kelly podcast?) From @backstoryblog thebackstoryblog.com/f/alligator-al…
"... more than 1,000 counties — one out of three — do not have the equivalent of even one full-time local journalist."
... the number of journalists working in the US has dropped by more than 75% since the start of the century — from 40 journalists for every 100,000 residents to just 8.2 journalists now. tinyurl.com/388257fy
First, Pam Bondi ousted Orlando's US attorney who went after Joel Greenberg and was in the midst of going after Carolina Amesty. Now she ousts the one in Tampa who was going after an accused $100 million fraudster. Accused white-collar criminals in Florida must feel encouraged.
Fraudster Leo Govoni is accused of orchestrating one of the largest fraud schemes in Florida’s recent history. The federal prosecutor’s termination raises concerns about political retribution and threatens to derail justice for victims who have already suffered for far too long.
Former Rep. Carolina Amesty is facing her second round of criminal accusations, this time for pandemic-relief fraud. Now she has a defense fund that says she's being persecuted for her faith and political beliefs. Before donating, I decided to check it out orlandosentinel.com/2025/07/09/car…
