Plant City's Ashley Moody is starting her first day on the job Tuesday as Florida's newest Attorney General. Moody has made it clear she plans to build on the record of her predecessor, Tampa's Pam Bondi.
During a stop in New Port Richey after the election, she said "Talk about standing on the shoulders of giants, I’m following Pam Bondi. I have to stand on a giant in high heels."
That means following up on Bondi's work against opioid abuse in the state. But she also promises to go farther, pledging to look into pardoning the so-called "Groveland Four." The Lake County African-American men were falsely accused of raping a woman in 1949, but were never exonerated.
Moody defeated Democratic state Sen. Sean Shaw by more than 500,00 votes in November's election.
During her victory speech, Moody said she began preparing for the job years ago, starting with lessons she learned from her father, who was also a federal judge.
"The strength and resilience of our society hinges on a fair judicial system - not only a fair judicial system, but one that is perceived as fair, and I will work towards that end everyday as the Attorney General," Moody said at a Tampa hotel.
