By: Associated Press

August 30, 2017

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- After the Florida Senate spent $5 million on a website that it later scrapped, it has now agreed to spend up to $200,000 more in a legal battle to avoid further payments to the site's creator.

The Tallahassee-based contractor sued the Senate earlier this year to recover a final $500,000 payment for the website. Spider Data Services asked the Senate in early 2013 for the last installment, but the Senate has refused to pay.

Documents posted by the Senate online show it has agreed to pay up to $200,000 to fight the lawsuit. It also has argued in court filings that the website never worked as planned.

The website was supposed to help people understand the state budget, but it was never made public. The contract was signed in 2011 under a previous Senate president.