THE RESULTS TOGETHER WITH ERIK VON ANCKEN. THIS IS NEWS 6 AT 5 GETTING RESULTS.
>> LISA: NOW A 5, A NEWS 6
INVESTIGATION IS RAISING
QUESTIONS ABOUT GOVERNOR RON
DESANTIS AND HIS COMPLIANCE
WITH FLORIDA’S PUBLIC RECORDS
LAW. THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE
ADMITS IT DELAYED THE RELEASE
OF STATE RECORDS SO DESANTIS
COULD REVIEW THEM. SO THE
RECORDS INVOLVE A FORMER
FLORIDA OFFICIAL WHO’S
REPORTEDLY TIED TO A FEDERAL
CRIMES INVESTIGATION. NEWS 6
INVESTIGATOR MIKE DEFOREST
JOINS US IN STUDIO NOW. SO
MIKE, DOES THE GOVERNOR HAVE
THE RIGHT TO DELAY THE RELEASE
OF PUBLIC RECORDS? WELL, BAT,
THE GOVERNOR APPARENTLY THINK
SO. BUT SOME ADVOCATES OF
FLORIDA’S OPEN GOVERNMENT LAWS
DISAGREE ANY FLORIDIAN LIKE
YOU OR ME REQUEST PUBLIC
RECORDS FROM THE STATE.
>> MATT: A NUMBER OF LEGAL
EXPERTS BELIEVE THE GOVERNMENT
MUST PROMPTLY TURNED THEM OVER
TO YOU. BUT NEWS 6 HAS LEARNED
THE GOVERNOR IS DELAYING THE
RELEASE OF CERTAIN STATE
RECORDS SO HE CAN LOOK AT THEM
FIRST. WE PULL THEIR LIQUOR
LICENSE LAST NIGHT HALL SEE
BASHIR’S OVERSAW FLORIDA’S
BUSINESS LICENSING AGENCY
UNTIL HE ABRUPTLY RESIGNED
LAST YEAR CITING HEALTH ISSUES
SHORTLY AFTER HE LEFT
PUBLISHED REPORTS SURFACED
LINKING BASHIR’S TO A FEDERAL
SEX-TRAFFICKING INVESTIGATION.
THE SAME ONE THAT REPORTEDLY
INVOLVES FLORIDA CONGRESSMAN
MATT GAETZ.
>> NEITHER HAS BEEN CHARGED
WITH A CRIME AND I’VE TALKED
TO HUNDREDS OF BAR OWNERS AND
BURRIES ACROSS THE STATE AFTER
BASHIR’S RESIGNED. NEWS 6
REQUESTED HIS OLD EXPENSE
REPORTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF
BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL
REGULATION OR DBPR. THESE
DOCUMENTS DETAILING HOW
BESHEAR SPENT TAXPAYER MONEY,
WHICH ANY FLORIDIAN HAS THE
RIGHT TO SEE WERE COMPILED BY
DBPR IN JUST A MATTER OF DAYS.
BUT INSTEAD OF IMMEDIATELY
TURNING THEM OVER TO NEWS 6,
WE’VE LEARNED BASHIR’S RECORDS
WERE FORWARDED TO THE OFFICE
OF GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS. THE
DOCUMENTS REMAIN WITH THE
GOVERNOR FOR MORE THAN 2
MONTHS. RECORDS SHOW A DELAY.
SOME LEGAL EXPERTS SAY MAY
HAVE VIOLATED FLORIDA LAW.
>> ANY DELAY? IT’S
INCONSISTENT.
>> WITH THE PUBLIC RECORDS
ACT.
>> PAMELA MARSH IS THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE
FIRST AMENDMENT FOUNDATION, A
NONPROFIT THAT DEFENDS THE
PUBLIC’S RIGHT TO OPEN
GOVERNMENT.
>> FLORIDA USED TO BE THE
LEADER IN OPEN GOVERNMENT. YOU
KNOW, THE SUNSHINE STATE WHERE
WE ARE TRANSPARENT IN OUR
GOVERNMENT. THAT’S REALLY
GONE.
>> DESANTIS SPOKESPERSON TELLS
NEWS 6 IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
GOVERNOR’S DUTY TO TAKE CARE
THAT THE LAWS BE FAITHFULLY
EXECUTED. THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE
OF THE GOVERNOR MAY REVIEW THE
RECORD TO ENSURE THE ACCURACY
AND CORRECTNESS OF THE RECORD
PRODUCTION. THAT MAY INCLUDE
SITUATIONS WHERE THE RECORD
CONCERNS THE GOVERNOR, WHERE
THERE IS REASON TO BELIEVE
THAT THE GOVERNOR MAY BE ASKED
ABOUT INFORMATION IN THE
RECORD, ACCORDING TO HIS
OFFICE ONCE.
>> A CUSTODIAN OF RECORDS IN
AGENCY HAS A RECORD. THAT
CUSTODY AND MUST PRODUCE THE
RECORD RIGHT THEN. IT DOESN’T
MATTER. THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS
AN INTEREST IN IT AND WANTS TO
REVIEW IT LATER.
>> MARSH CITES A FLORIDA
SUPREME COURT DECISION THAT
FOUND THE ONLY DELAY IN
RELEASING PUBLIC RECORD IS THE
TIME IT TAKES TO RETRIEVE THE
RECORD AND DELETE THOSE
PORTIONS OF THE RECORD. THE
CUSTODIAN A SEARCH ARE EXEMPT.
>> AND THE SUPREME COURT
EXPLAINED THAT A POLICY
CREATING AN AUTOMATIC DELAY IS
At JP Morgan, IN PERMISSIBLE.
>> ANOTHER WATCHDOG GROUP, THE
FLORIDA CENTER FOR GOVERNMENT
ACCOUNTABILITY AGREES SAYING
THERE IS NO AUTOMATIC DELAY
REQUEST SEEKS RECORDS THAT MAY
EXPOSE THE GOVERNOR TO
RIDICULE OR CRITICISM. WHEN WE
FINALLY GOT HOLD THIS YEAR’S
EXPENSE REPORTS 3 MONTHS AFTER
WE FIRST ASKED FOR THEM, WE
DID NOT SEE ANY INDICATION
THAT HE MISSPENT TAXPAYER
MONEY, ACCORDING TO THE OFFICE
OF FLORIDA, ATTORNEY GENERAL
ASHLEY MOODY. ANY UNJUSTIFIED
DELAY IN PRODUCING PUBLIC
RECORDS IS UNLAWFUL.