State Rep. Mike Hill has deleted his controversial Twitter account, @MikeHillFL. Hill had blocked several journalists, including Andy Marlette and me, from seeing his tweets, which the Florida Democratic Party had labeled a “Homophobic dumpster fire.”
Inweekly had asked the State Attorney’s Office whether Hill was violating Florida’s public record laws by blocking the public from his official Twitter account.
Chief Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille told us that the state lawmaker was not violating the law but that he could be subject to civil ramifications since federal courts have seen blocking the public as a First Amendment issue.
Earlier this month, a three-judge panel on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, in New York, ruled unanimously President Trump could not exclude some Americans from reading and commenting on his posts, since he uses Twitter to conduct government business.
In his July 29 campaign newsletter, Hill had a link to the Twitter account, but it doesn’t work. However, links to his Facebook and Instagram do.
From the old @MikeHillFl account:
