Florida Judge Denies GOP Request to Ban Democratic Ads

A Highlands County Circuit Judge denied a request by the Republican Party of Florida to immediately block television advertisements funded by the Florida Democratic Party. The ads target Attorney General James Uthmeier, alleging that $10 million from a Medicaid settlement with Centene Corporation was misappropriated through the Hope Florida Foundation to fund a political committee led by Uthmeier.

The Republican Party of Florida filed the lawsuit arguing the ads violate state law by referencing a Leon County grand jury report that the First District Court of Appeal ordered expunged on October 7. The GOP asserted the ads falsely attribute criminal wrongdoing to Uthmeier and threatened television stations with civil and criminal sanctions for broadcasting the content. While Judge Peter Estrada refused the immediate ban, he ordered a hearing to further examine the matter.

Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried and candidate Annette Taddeo condemned the legal action as an attempt to hide government corruption and silence voters. Meanwhile, the First District Court of Appeal denied a separate petition to prohibit the report's publication and ordered Leon County State Attorney Jack Campbell to justify his handling of the document. The appellate court previously ruled that the $10 million in question was not public money.