Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is defending her decision to take free trips to conferences and socialize with attorneys that represent corporations under investigation by other states.
Bondi was elected last week to a second term. But at the same time her actions have been scrutinized by news outlets including The New York Times.
The Times this week reported that Bondi allowed a Washington D.C. attorney with the firm of Dickstein Shapiro to recuperate from surgery at Bondi's house. The newspaper reported the stay came after Lori Kalani and two others lawyers from her firm flew on a chartered flight with Bondi to a Michigan conference.
A spokeswoman for Bondi confirmed Kalani stayed at Bondi's home. But she maintained that Bondi does not "allow personal friendships to affect her objectivity."