What Democrats call an “affordability crisis” is apparently affecting the top lawyer in the Free State of Florida.

During an interview with Dara Kam, Attorney General James Uthmeier said the high cost of living was a reason he had to moonlight with the University of Florida Levin School of Law, which is reportedly paying him $100,000 for two hours of classroom time per week, far above the $5,000 average adjunct salary.

Uthmeier said he’s “part-time faculty” teaching two classes per year, mentoring students also and handling other duties, and that he started teaching when he was experiencing burnout from the Governor’s Office Chief of Staff gig.

“I’ve been a public servant since I was a young lawyer. And when you have a growing family and three kids, you’ve got to look for other ways to keep the lights on and keep food on the table,” Uthmeier said, noting that he makes less than first-year lawyers at his old firm and has “turned down multimillion-dollar offers” because of his desire to work for the “Free State of Florida.”

Uthmeier suggests that if anything, he isn’t paid enough compared to what others in his position made. He said his decision to accept the appointment to be Attorney General after Ashley Moody was appointed to the U.S. Senate caused him a major financial hit.

“What I’d say is when you look at law professor salaries across the country, 100 grand is not that crazy. And also, the pay cut from Governor’s Chief of Staff to the AG was a significant drop off based on statute, you know, a $60 (thousand), $70,000 cut. And, you know, other Cabinet members now and historically, they have other business and independent wealth and they’re developers or, you know, whatever else they are,” he said.

While it’s unclear why Uthmeier conflates money made in private enterprise before entering public service with taking on a second taxpayer-funded role, it’s obvious he believes the price UF is paying is worth it.

Some, such as Rep. Alex Andrade, have raised questions about how Uthmeier travels from Tallahassee to Gainesville to teach. The footage in the interview did not address whether taxpayers are paying to shuttle him, or if his commute is handled by a political supporter.