TALLAHASSEE — New court records show Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive representatives have threatened Florida television stations with criminal prosecution for running political ads supporting enshrining the right to abortion in the state’s constitution. instructed attorneys for the state health department.
John Wilson, general counsel for the Florida Department of Health, said in an affidavit Monday that he received a prewritten letter from one of DeSantis’ attorneys on Oct. 3 and was told to send it in his name. I mentioned it inside.
Wilson never participated in any discussion of the letter, but sent it anyway, sparking a firestorm that led to a federal judge granting a temporary restraining order against the state last week, he wrote. .
Mr. Wilson abruptly resigned on October 10, writing in his resignation letter, “Without a conscience, a person is nothing.” The letter, first reported by the Times/Herald, did not explicitly say he was resigning because of the controversy.
However, Mr Wilson said in his affidavit that the decision was made to avoid sending further letters.
“Instead of following instructions from (DeSantis General Counsel Ryan) Newman and (Deputy General Counsel Jed) Doty, I resigned from my position as general counsel to send further communications to the media,” he wrote. .
The court records show how the governor’s office pressured top government officials and state officials to launch a taxpayer-funded campaign to defeat a bill that would have put abortion rights on the Nov. 5 ballot. This is the most detailed study to date of how people are spending money.
Wilson’s letter threatened TV stations with criminal prosecution unless they removed 30-second ads supporting the Fourth Amendment, a ballot measure that would expand access to abortion if approved on Nov. 5. .
The ad features a woman named Caroline, who was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor two years ago while pregnant with her second child. The woman said she would not have been able to obtain a potentially life-saving abortion if Florida had banned abortions for six weeks.
The letter is now the subject of a federal lawsuit in which Wilson is being sued in his individual capacity along with Florida Department of Health Secretary Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo. In the lawsuit, the Fourth Amendment advocacy group Floridians for Freedom argues that the state’s threats violate the group’s First Amendment political speech rights. .
A federal judge last week ordered the state to stop threatening television stations, saying it violated First Amendment rights.
This is a developing story. Please check the latest information.
