Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Bob Butterworth
Bob Butterworth (born August 20, 1942 in Passaic, New Jersey) was the 33rd Attorney General of the State of Florida, first elected in 1986 and retained in office in 1990, 1994, and 1998. His popularity among voters in the state has led to frequent mention of his name as a potential candidate for Governor or for the U.S. Senate. Butterworth, a Democrat, was the Florida chairman of Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign, and therefore opted to remain largely uninvolved with the 2000 election controversy, although he did argue in favor of a statewide recount.
One of Butterworth's key activities during his time in office was the initiation and execution of Florida's lawsuit against the tobacco industry, which was one of the early contributions to what eventually became a nationwide effort. As a result of this suit, tobacco companies agreed to pay Florida US$11 billion. Based on his participation in this effort, Butterworth was voted the nation's top state attorney general by attorneys general from other states.
In 2002, Butterworth's office was eliminated through a previous amendment to the Florida Constitution. Butterworth unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the state legislature in West Palm Beach. Currently, Butterworth is Dean of the College of Law at St. Thomas University.
Butterworth received a degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida in 1965, and in 1969 received a Juris Doctor from the University of Miami.
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