As Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis campaigns for the White House, government accountability watchdogs are pointing to the long shadow of secrecy cast by his administration.
Critics of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are eyeing his record in Florida as a harbinger of what's to come for federal transparency if he wins in 2024.
DeSantis also has fought to conceal information about some of the most significant events during his tenure, including withholding Covid infection data and blocking release of records about the controversial relocation of dozens of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, legal filings show. Barfield called the DeSantis administration the least transparent “of all that I’ve witnessed in the nearly 35 years I’ve been doing transparency work in Florida.”
Since taking office in 2019, DeSantis has repeatedly tested the letter and spirit of Florida’s sunshine laws and constitutional guarantees, sometimes bypassing the Legislature in novel ways, experts say. “I could find no instance of any Florida governor ever claiming executive privilege before DeSantis did,” Cameron told NBC News.
Freshman state Rep. Jeff Holcomb, a Republican who introduced the legislation, told NBC News that the project “was given to me by leadership” to address security “glitches.” Late last year, the Executive Office of the Governor denied a public records request from NBC News for any communications — texts, emails, voice messages or other exchanges — sent or received by DeSantis in the days just before and after the hurricane made landfall, becoming one of the deadliest tropical storms in modern history. The office closed the request after less than a business day, saying a search “produced no documents responsive” to the request.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Is North Carolina Going to Become Like Ron DeSantis’s Florida?Mark Robinson, the leading Republican candidate for governor in North Carolina, has a history of sharing sexist, homophobic, and transphobic views, as well as trivializing assault. Already with a veto-proof GOP majority in the state legislature, North Carolina may be poised to lose its purple state cred.
Read more »
Ron DeSantis wants to ax an agency that investigated Hunter BidenThis week, Gov. DeSantis said he would abolish the agency that undertook the investigation of Hunter Biden if he wins the presidency.
Read more »
Pete Buttigieg mocks how Ron DeSantis is trying to 'prove' his 'manhood'Buttigieg, the first openly gay Cabinet member, criticized a video re-posted by DeSantis' team that goes after Trump on LGBTQ issues and features images of 'shirtless bodybuilders.'
Read more »
Pete Buttigieg mocks Ron DeSantis for trying to 'prove' his 'manhood'The transportation secretary, who is openly gay, criticized a video reposted by DeSantis' team that goes after Trump on LGBTQ issues and features images of 'shirtless bodybuilders.'
Read more »
Analysis | What do Ron DeSantis and Barack Obama have in common?Both stumbled at the start of their presidential campaigns against popular front-runners. Obama overcame his problems his problems in 2008 and won the nomination. Can DeSantis do the same next year?
Read more »