'Never seen anything like it': Watchdogs consider DeSantis Florida’s 'least transparent' governor

During a Twitter event on Sunday night, July 2, Republican strategist and Ron DeSantis ally Steve Cortes acknowledged that the Florida governor is seriously underperforming against former President Donald Trump in the 2024 GOP presidential primary. Cortes acknowledged that "clear underdog" DeSantis is "way behind" the "runaway frontrunner" Trump but predicted that he will "outperform expectations" in the months ahead.

A poll released by Fox News in late June found DeSantis trailing Trump by 34 percent among Republican primary voters.

If DeSantis' performance in polls improves, the two-term governor can expect a lot of opposition research — not only from Trump's campaign, but also, from Democratic strategists who would like to wound him politically before the general election gets underway. One line of attack could be DeSantis' efforts to keep records hidden.

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In an article published by NBC News' website on Independence Day 2023, reporter Lewis Kamb stresses that DeSantis, according to government watchdog groups, has a troubling history of using "executive privilege to "keep records hidden."

As governor, Kamb observes, DeSantis has "routinely stonewalled the release of public records" and "approved a slew of new legal exceptions aimed at keeping more information out of the public eye."

Kamb reports, "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."

The NBC News reporter adds, "DeSantis also has fought to conceal information about some of the most significant events during his tenure, including withholding COVID infection data and blocking release of records about the controversial relocation of dozens of migrants to Martha's Vineyard, legal filings show."

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According to Catherine Cameron — a law professor at Stetson University in Central Florida — DeSantis appears to be the only governor in Florida history to use "executive privilege" to hide records.

Cameron told NBC News, "I could find no instance of any Florida governor ever claiming executive privilege before DeSantis did."

Michael Barfield, director of public access for the Florida Center for Government Accountability, considers DeSantis the least transparent Florida governor he has seen in the last 35 years.

Barfield told NBC News, "I've never seen anything like it. It's stunning, the amount of material that has been taken off the table from a state that many have considered to be the most transparent. We've quickly become one of the least transparent in the space of four years."

Barfield also said of DeSantis' administration, "It's outrageous. They're using private electronic devices and accounts to conduct official business. And when they're challenged, they fight tooth and nail."

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Find NBC News' full report at this link.