This bears repeating.

Public agency officials who conduct public business on personal devices violate the letter of the open records laws, laws governing records retention and management, and open meetings laws (if the communications are exchanged by a quorum of agency members).

There is no room for doubt.

The Florida official in this case did, in fact, avoid the imposition of criminal penalties. The other officials who engaged in the same practice, and who face future prosecution, may not be as lucky. All have breached the public trust, as this article by the Treasure Coast Newspapers underscores.

And all may face a final reckoning at the ballot box.