This past session, the Florida Legislature passed a truly awful anti-ethics bill and we’re calling on Gov. Ron DeSantis to veto it. This proposed law (SB 7014) severely undermines the ability for citizens to file complaints against government officials and politicians who violate the public trust, and bans local ethics commissions from self-initiating their own investigations. This law, if enacted, would neuter Florida’s key watchdog agencies and open the floodgates to unchecked corruption by government officials and those doing business with them.

Last month, several government watchdog organizations urged Gov. DeSantis to veto this bill, saying that it “allows unethical conduct to continue unchecked, thereby diminishing public trust in the Sunshine State.” Simply put, this proposal makes a mockery of ethics enforcement by preventing the public from filing ethics complaints based on reliable public information.

A recent case in Miami-Dade illustrates why this indefensible bill must not become law. Last year the Miami-Dade ethics board launched an investigation into ex-Miami City Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla, leading to criminal charges of public corruption involving hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions – yet this bill would outlaw such an investigation.

Urge Gov. DeSantis to veto SB 7014, the anti-ethics bill. Feel free to customize the letter below (optional).