Former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales will speak at UF on Monday, but his speech will not go exactly as he wanted.
Gonzales, who resigned from his White House position in August after a controversial tenure, made several requests that were refused by Accent, Student Government's speakers bureau.
He requested that his representatives choose which members of the press cover the event and that they not use television cameras and recording devices during his speech, his contract stated.
Gonzales also asked Accent not to disclose the amount he was paid for his speech - ,40,000, the contract stated.
Steven Blank, Accent chairman, said the requests were denied because they violated university polices and possibly state statutes, but he didn't know the exact rules broken.
Beth Waltrip, director of student activities and manager of Accent's legal and contractual issues, could not be reached by press time.
Accent's refusal of the requests did not cause any negotiating problems, Blank said.
The speakers bureau did grant Gonzales the right to control the question-and-answer session after his speech. Attendees must write questions on index cards, which will be collected and asked by a moderator.
A faculty member from the Levin College of Law will probably moderate the speech, though no final decision has been made, Blank said.
Gonzales isn't the first visitor to ask for special treatment, he said.
Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor who famously documented his experiences in his autobiography, "Night," requested a similar question-and-answer process when he spoke in March 2006.
"It doesn't impede students' ability to ask some hard-hitting questions, and hopefully he'll have some hard-hitting answers," Blank said.
Gonzales also asked that the venue be adequately lit so he can see the audience and that his lectern be positioned so the audience can't see his notes. But most of the requests Gonzales made were more ordinary, such as asking for a wireless microphone and a glass of water on stage, the contract stated.
Gonzales will appear at 7:15 p.m. at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
Free tickets for students with Gator 1 Cards are still available today at the Phillips Center and the University Box Office.
Check www.alligator.org to see Gonzales' contract.
