State Rep Claims Attorney General James Uthmeier’s Office Gave Illegal Exclusive Access to Documents
In a damning podcast interview, Florida State Rep. Alex Andrade leveled serious accusations against Attorney General James Uthmeier’s office, alleging criminal violations of the state’s Public Records Act. The charges center on claims that Uthmeier’s Communications Director gave a Politico reporter exclusive access to hundreds of documents while simultaneously denying those records to Andrade, an elected House committee chair who had formally requested them.
Details: According to Andrade, the scandal began when Jeremy Redfern, the communications director for Attorney General Uthmeier, made an unsolicited contact with a Politico reporter in mid-July.
- “Jeremy Redfern…reached out unsolicited to a Politico reporter, called him, did not text him, and brought him a stack of about 600 pages of documents printed out and told this reporter he had a two-week exclusive on these documents,” Andrade revealed.
The documents in question responded to Andrade’s own public records requests he had made directly to Uthmeier and other attorneys in the AG’s office in April. They are also related to requests from multiple news outlets seeking records about the Hope Florida Foundation and a related settlement with Centene.
The Irony of the Enforcement Office Breaking the Law
What makes these allegations striking is the role of the Attorney General’s office in Florida’s government transparency framework.
- “The Attorney General’s office is the one that drafts the Government-in-the-Sunshine Manual, the Bible of compliance with the Florida Sunshine Law and Public Records Act,” Andrade explained. “We’re supposed to be taking advice from James Uthmeier about complying with the Public Records Act when he is obviously very comfortable in criminally violating that act.”
The Government in the Sunshine Manual serves as the authoritative guide on the state’s open meetings and public records laws. Published annually by the Florida Office of the Attorney General and the First Amendment Foundation, the manual reflects both statutory updates and case law. Having its author, James Uthmeier, allegedly violate those same laws represents a significant breach of public trust.
Andrade didn’t mince words about the potential legal consequences of the alleged violations.
- “The manual, the Attorney General’s office publishes, states that knowing violations of the Public Record Act are punishable by removal from office or a year in jail. These are criminal offenses that the Attorney General’s office and his representatives are comfortable engaging in,” he stated.
Background
Florida’s Government-in-the-Sunshine Manual outlines strict remedies and penalties for violations of the Public Records Act (Chapter 119, Florida Statutes):
Criminal Penalties and Deliberate Violations
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- Criminal Penalties: If a public officer knowingly violates section 119.07(1), Florida Statutes, which requires that records be open to inspection, that person is subject to suspension and removal, or impeachment, and commits a first-degree misdemeanor. This is punishable by up to one year in prison, a $1,000 fine, or both.
- Agency Liability: If the agency unlawfully refuses to permit inspection or copying, the agency is responsible for paying attorney’s fees and enforcement costs.
- Immediate Compliance: The court may order immediate compliance (typically within 48 hours of the order).
- Removals and Voiding of Actions: Knowingly violating the Act can lead to removal from office or employment, and actions taken in violation of the Act may be void or invalidated.
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The method of delivery also raised red flags for Andrade, who noted the unusual decision to provide hard copies rather than digital files.
- “He knew that he was violating the law. That’s why he did it the way that he did it,” Andrade said of Redfern’s approach.
What the Records Revealed
While Andrade characterized the Politico article as not raising many new issues, he identified two significant revelations from the released documents:
- “The only two new facts that I gleaned from the article were one, John Guard, the signatory from the Attorney General’s office, who signed the settlement agreement with Centene, believed these were Medicaid funds, and two, that the Attorney General, in addition to being comfortable stealing Medicaid funds from the state, is also comfortable blatantly violating the Public Records Act.”
The timeline of events appears to connect to broader political activities. Andrade noted a September 10th meeting at the governor’s office between AHCA (Agency for Health Care Administration) and representatives of Uthmeier or the governor.
- “It was after that date, really, that you started seeing all this activity regarding the settlement regarding Hope Florida,” Andrade observed.
Adding to the mystery, Andrade eventually received documents from the AG’s office after the Politico article was published, but the count didn’t match what the reporter claimed to have received.
“The political reporter says that they had 600 documents from the AG’s office, and I think I’ve counted about 350 pages that I received in my public records response, so I’m not a hundred percent sure if they’re identical or not,” Andrade said.
A Pattern of Political Favoritism
Perhaps most troubling is Andrade’s characterization of the AG’s communication director as operating more like a political operative than a public servant.
- “He’s a taxpayer-funded political actor for James Uthmeier personally. He’s not a public servant or a public information officer officially serving the public on behalf of the Attorney General’s office,” Andrade charged.
The allegations go beyond a simple procedural violation, striking at the heart of government accountability in Florida.
- “It tarnishes the entire process. It tarnishes state government when you have an office like the AG’s office tasked with enforcing and advising everyone on how to comply with the law themselves. Brazenly violating it,” Andrade concluded.
Inweekly has made a public records request of Rep. Andrade for the records he received from AG. We will have more next week. Stay tuned.
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