But that tradition of open government has been under attack in the Sunshine State, as lawmakers adopt new restrictions on public records, and as officials at all levels of government slow-walk or outright ignore legitimate requests for public information. The episode, as the Times’ report noted, indicates an unusual level of interference by the governor’s office in the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which reports to the governor and Cabinet - the state’s attorney general, chief financial officer and agriculture commissioner - not the governor alone.įlorida has a broad public records law that allows news outlets and the public to request information on state and local governments. But DeSantis’ staff disagreed, Desguin wrote, telling department officials the governor’s travel records were not to be released. The Department of Law Enforcement initially told The Washington Post the records would be released, according to Desguin, in keeping with practice from past administrations. The statements were first reported by The Washington Post, which is suing in Leon County court to obtain the travel records, and chronicled again this week by the Tampa Bay Times. When FDLE officials pushed back on the decision, one was denied a promotion, another was placed on leave and Desguin was forced to resign, he and his former deputy chief of staff said. I received the quarterly email from OVO telling me that I can submit SEG readings. The statute was intended to shield records that jeopardized the safety of the governor or his family, but officials at FDLE - the agency responsible for protecting the governor - said the records posed no risk to DeSantis or anyone else, according to Desguin. But Desguin, who was involved in crafting the legislation, said the governor’s office misinterpreted the law. The department denied the release, citing a new state law shielding the governor’s travel records. Shane Desguin, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s former chief of staff, alleged recently in a sworn court statement that DeSantis officials stopped the release of about 600 records that would have revealed who traveled with the governor on the state plane. Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know. Create a Page for a celebrity, brand or business. That contempt for open government should worry Floridians of every political stripe. Connect with friends and the world around you on Facebook. Ron DeSantis’ top aides blocked the release of his travel records, and retaliated against state employees who disagreed with the decision, according to two former state police officials. Log in to Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family and people you know. The governor’s taxpayer-funded travel should not be a state secret. Create a Page for a celebrity, brand or business.
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