ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s youngster welfare company despatched a letter to a Florida newspaper telling it to “stop and desist” its reporting on foster households for a narrative a couple of nonprofit related to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ spouse that’s the topic of an investigation.
The Orlando Sentinel acquired the letter on Friday from the state Division of Youngsters and Households, whose high official is appointed by the governor. The letter claimed that the newspaper’s Tallahassee reporter had used threats to coerce foster households into making unfavorable statements concerning the Hope Florida Basis when he contacted them concerning the welfare nonprofit behind the signature initiative of Casey DeSantis, Florida’s first girl.
“Stop and desist the above-described intimidation of those households,” the DCF letter stated.
Orlando Sentinel Govt Editor Roger Simmons stated the company’s characterization of the reporter’s conduct was “fully false.” The yet-to-be-published story was wanting into grants distributed by Hope Florida to organizations, households and people, in accordance with the Sentinel.
“We stand by our tales and reject the state’s try to relax free speech and encroach on our First Modification proper to report on an essential situation,” Simmons stated in an electronic mail.
DCF on Monday repeated the declare that the reporter had harassed a number of foster households who complained to the company.
“The Orlando Sentinel can report on no matter they need, however they don’t have a proper to harass foster households,” Miguel Nevarez, DCF’s press secretary, stated in an electronic mail.
The letter is making an attempt to intimidate the Sentinel from publishing what could also be unflattering information about Hope Florida in what is named prior restraint, and prior restraint efforts usually are unconstitutional, stated Clay Calvert, a legislation professor emeritus on the College of Florida and nonresident senior fellow on the American Enterprise Institute.
If he had been the Sentinel’s lawyer, Calvert stated, he would inform the company “to go pound sand.”
“DCF can ship all of the stop and desist letters it needs, however the Sentinel isn’t obligated to observe any of them,” he stated. “That is actually making an attempt to silence any unfavorable protection earlier than it comes out.”
Prosecutors in Tallahassee have opened an investigation associated to the Hope Florida Basis. A public information custodian within the workplace of Second Judicial Circuit State Legal professional Jack Campbell confirmed the existence of “an open, on-going investigation” final month in response to a information request from The Related Press. The investigation was first reported by the Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Instances.
Republican state lawmakers in DeSantis’ personal occasion have been scrutinizing Hope Florida and its nonprofit basis, which gave $10 million from a state Medicaid settlement to 2 nonprofits. These teams in flip gave tens of millions to a political committee, chaired by DeSantis’ then-chief of employees, that campaigned in opposition to a failed referendum on leisure marijuana.
In April, Republican state Rep. Alex Andrade wrapped up the investigation he had been spearheading into Hope Florida, saying he would depart the remainder of the inquiry to “the FBI and Division of Justice,” although there isn’t any public proof that both is doing so. Andrade has alleged that the movement of funds from the inspiration to the nonprofits and on to the political committees quantities to “conspiracy to commit cash laundering and wire fraud.”
The governor has dismissed the investigation of Hope Florida as a politically motivated smear in opposition to his spouse, whom he’s floated as his potential successor when he phrases out in 2026.
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Observe Mike Schneider on the social platform Bluesky: @mikeysid.bsky.social.
