DeSantis administration’s cease-and-desist letter sent to reporter raises freedom and ethics concerns

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Governor Ron DeSantis’s administration sent a cease-and-desist letter to an Orlando Sentinel journalist reporting on HOPE Florida, Casey DeSantis’s charity under criminal investigation. 

The letter is raising eyebrows from First Amendment and ethics advocates. 

On June 6, the state’s Department of Children and Families sent the letter, claiming the reporter intimidated foster families into speaking negatively about the charity. 

It’s a claim that the Orlando Sentinel executive editor says is completely false, and media ethics expert Kelly McBride calls inappropriate. 

“This is not at all within the way the constitution or the law is supposed to work, and the governor is operating way outside his authority,” McBride told WMNF.

McBride is the chair of the Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership at Poynter, a media institute. 

“I don’t think it will have a chilling effect. It may have the exact opposite effect, which is reporters may be emboldened to challenge the governor because its so clearly not appropriate to request that reports stop reporting,” McBride said.

She said the letter will bring more attention to the case. 

“I think most of the public sees the reporting that’s been done already, right? And sees that like, oh, ten million dollars was transferred to your wife’s private charity. We should know more about that,” McBride said.

In a statement to WMNF, DCF says the Orlando Sentinel can “report on whatever they want”, but don’t have a right to “harass foster families.” 

“The grounds were laid out in the letter: Mr. Schweers threatened and harassed multiple Florida foster families, and we received complaints from those families. The Orlando Sentinel can report on whatever they want, but they do not have a right to harass foster families.” DCF wrote in a statement sent to WMNF.

Orlando Sentinel Executive Editor Roger Simmons told WMNF they stand by their stories and the letter was an attempt to chill free speech. 

“We stand by our stories and reject the state’s attempt to chill free speech and encroach on our First Amendment right to report on an important issue. The state’s characterization of our reporter’s conduct is completely false,” Simmons wrote in a statement.