Under Fire for Text, Fla. Gov Candidate Fires Staffer

Facing a ruckus after her campaign sneaked her a message during a debate Monday night, Florida's Democratic nominee for governor has fired a staffer for the rules violation. GOP candidate Rick Scott spotted Alex Sink being shown a message on a cell phone during a commercial break and informed moderators, CNN reports. Candidates had signed an agreement stating that no notes were to be allowed, but the aide tried to sneak the message in with a make-up artist.

Scott was quick to pounce on the violation. "First Alex, you say you always follow the rules,” he said after the break. “The rule was no one was supposed to give us messages during the break." Sink—who is neck-and-neck in the polls with her Republican rival—issued a statement afterward saying sending the message "was a foolish thing to do" and the aide had been immediately removed from the campaign. (More Alex Sink stories.)