Judge sides with DeSantis aides in public travel records suit: report

Last July, NBC News' Lewis Kamb reported that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, "according to government watchdog groups, has a troubling history of using 'executive privilege to "keep records hidden.'"

Proving the watchdog groups' point, in February, The Washington Post reported that DeSantis' top aides "blocked the release of records detailing his taxpayer-funded travel and retaliated against those who favored making them public, according to sworn statements from two former Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) officials."

Now, in a Wednesday, April 3 article published by Politico, the news outlet reports a Florida Circuit Judge J. Lee Marsh has blocked Washington Post "from questioning several current and former aides about a behind-the-scenes fight to keep secret the publicly-funded travel records of" the Republican governor.

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Per the report, the judge also "agreed to drop DeSantis as a defendant in the high-profile case that also includes a constitutional challenge to a new law that shields public access to the governor’s travel records, including those for trips he’s already taken."

However, the news outlet notes, "The Post’s main lawsuit against the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will still go forward."

FDLE Chief of Staff Shane Desguin told the Post in February, "In my view, and based on ... my experience in more than 30 years as a certified law enforcement officer, disclosure of those public records to the Post, or anyone else, would not have threatened the safety of the Governor. Instead, disclosure of those records, in my view, would allow the public to understand how their tax dollars are used in the provision of important public services."

Politico reports DeSantis' Deputy Chief of Staff Anastasios Kamoutsas phoned Desguin "at one point," to tell him "not to promote the FDLE general counsel who had recommended turning over the records to the Post."

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NBC's Kamb noted in his report, "DeSantis, a Harvard-educated lawyer and former U.S. attorney, is the only Florida governor known to use 'executive privilege' to keep records hidden, transparency advocates and experts said. His travel records, previously under scrutiny by the media, are now secret, thanks to a new legal exemption — one of a record number created in 2023 by the Republican-led (Florida State) Legislature and approved by the governor."

Politico's full report is available at this link. The Post's report is here (subscription required).