Ron Books Lobbying Firm Rakes in the Cash from Private Prison Companies

Florida’s lobby firms filed their first quarter results this week and the three-person firm of Ronald L. Book, P.A. came in as one of the highest paid lobbying firms in the State, behind much larger firms Ballard and 200-person firm, Southern Strategy Group. According to the firm’s first quarter report, filed Tuesday, Ron Book’s firm took in $3.4Million for lobbying legislators during the period of January 01, 2018 – March 31, 2018, (source: https://floridalobbyist.gov)

Among his top clients… private, for-profit, prison companies GEO Group and Correct Care Solutions, which runs the Florida Sex Offender Civil Commitment Center. It’s no wonder that in his work for the Miami-Dade Homeless Trust he pushes so hard to lock up sex offenders. It’s also no wonder why his daughter, Senator Lauren Book, sponsors legislation imposing harsher punishment and mandatory minimum sentences for registration violations!

There were a few other interesting connections, Such as Auto Tag Management Group and AJT Media (which owns ‘eTags’ online vehicle registration and renewal) and Florida Association Of Motorist Service Providers Inc.(a/k/a Auto Tag Agency, Inc,) and K.A.S. (a/k/a Tropical Tag Agency). It’s no wonder you see a buckslip to donate to his daughter’s charity, Lauren’s Kids, whenever you renew your vehicle registration in Florida or that she has her own license plate design for purchase.

A lot of this wouldn’t matter if not for the fact that Ron Book’s client roster didn’t also include multiple municipalities, which opens up a lot of self-dealing and conflict of interest.