Future House Speaker Mike Redondo, R-Miami and Rep. Richard Gentry, R-Astor, talk during the first day of the legislative session at the Florida State Capitol on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Tallahassee, Fla.
Photo by Matias J. Ocner
mocner@miamiherald.com
TALLAHASSEE
A state House member in line to lead the chamber can’t personally represent a client before the Agency for Health Care Administration and other state agencies, but his law firm can, state ethics officials have determined.
The Commission on Ethics issued an advisory opinion Friday declaring Rep. Mike Redondo, R-Miami, can personally represent a paying healthcare client in court, but he cannot do so before state administrative law judges or other state agencies.
“Although you may be prohibited from representing the client for compensation before AHCA, the in-office representation ban will not extend to your entire firm,” the opinion stated. “As long as you do not personally engage in any conduct that would amount to ‘representation,’ other attorneys in your firm do so without offending the in-office representation ban.”
The opinion also affirmed that while Redondo can’t be a paid representative for the client when it goes before a state agency, he can do so when a case is in court and a state agency is a party.
The opinion was adopted with little comment and without Redondo in attendance.
Lawmakers are prohibited by the state Constitution from being paid representatives for individuals or entities before state agencies other than judicial tribunals.
Redondo requested the guidance on June 10 as his law firm, Miami-based Redondo Law PA, is expected to provide “general regulatory and administrative counsel” to an unnamed company, “a substantial portion of which may require representation of the client before AHCA.”
“I wish to confirm, however, that other attorneys of the firm may undertake the agency-facing representation, and to confirm the conditions and the outer boundaries of permissible conduct, before the Firm accepts or structures the engagement,” the request continued.
Redondo added that members of his firm won’t identify him as a member of the Legislature or “lobby me” on behalf of the client.
“I will be screened from the client’s agency matters by an internal ethical wall,” Redondo stated.
Redondo, who was first elected to the House in a special election in 2023, is in line to become the House Speaker after the 2030 election, assuming he is reelected and Republicans maintain their majority in the chamber.
He faces a primary challenge from educator and behavior analyst Marco Insua, with Democrat Armando Castillo awaiting the winner for the District 118 seat.
Redondo has raised $92,200 for the contest to $100 by Insua and $300 by Castillo. Castillo also loaned his campaign $3,600.
Redondo is also chairman of the political committee The Right Path For Florida, which had $1.26 million on hand as of July 18.
Among contributors to the political committee this year with healthcare ties: Recovery Solutions of Nashville, $10,000; Tenet Health of Dallas, $5,000; Hims, Inc., of San Francisco, $2,500; Aqua Dermatology Management of Palm Beach Gardens, $5,000; Independent Living Systems of Miami, $5,000; the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Tallahassee, $25,000; and Humana Inc., of Lexington, Kansas, $7,500.