Attorney General James Uthmeier is speaking out amid a battle between the City of Clearwater and the Church of Scientology over a potential land deal, and he’s taking Scientology’s side.
In a letter to Mayor Bruce Rector, Uthmeier cautioned him that any decisions made based on discriminatory reasons would violate Florida law, as would mandates that a land deal be tied to alternative properties Scientology also owns.
At issue is a proposal for the city to sell a portion of Garden Avenue to the church of Scientology for $1.375 million with the intent of closing that portion of the street…