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Tag: Florida AG

  • Florida AG to investigate Campbell’s after VP exposed for saying soup is bioengineered ‘sh-t for poor people’



    Los Angeles, CA/USA 04/03/2019 Tin cans of Campbell’s tomato soup for sale in a supermarket shelf Credit: Shutterstock

    Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said Tuesday the state’s Consumer Protection division is launching an investigation into canned soup company Campbell’s use of lab-grown meat. 

    The announcement comes as a former Campbell’s employee launches legal action against the company following a meeting with the vice president that turned into an hour-long rant mocking “poor people,” calling Indian employees “idiots,” admitting to working high off edibles and using bioengineered meat.

    Robert Garza, a former cybersecurity analyst from Michigan, was working for Campbell’s Camden, New Jersey headquarters when he met with Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer Martin Bally for a standard salary discussion. Garza recorded the conversation that ultimately left him feeling “pure disgust,” he told Detroit’s Local 4 News. 

    “We have shit for fucking poor people. Who buys our shit? I don’t buy Campbell’s products barely anymore,” Bally is allegedly heard saying.

    “It’s not healthy now that I know what the fuck’s in it.”

    He goes on to claim the meat used in Campbell’s products is fake.

    “Bioengineered meat — I don’t wanna eat a piece of chicken that came from a 3-D printer. Do you?”

    He’s also heard using racist remarks to blast Indian employees. 

    “Fucking Indians don’t know a fucking thing.”

    “They couldn’t think for their fucking selves … I’m like ‘You dumb fucks.’”

    Garza also recorded Bally saying he regular comes to work high off of marijuana edibles. 

    A Campbell’s spokesperson has said Bally is “temporarily on leave while we conduct an investigation.”

    “If the comments were in fact made, they are unacceptable. They do not reflect our values and the culture of our company. We were not aware of the recording,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “We are proud of the food we make, the people who make it and the high-quality ingredients we use. The comments heard on the recording about our food are not only inaccurate — they are patently absurd.”

    Campbell’s spokesperson shared with Orlando Weekly a webpage that reads:

    “The chicken meat used in Campbell’s® soups comes from long-trusted, USDA approved U.S. suppliers and meets our high quality standards. Campbell’s® does not use 3D-printed chicken, lab-grown chicken, or any form of artificial or bioengineered meat in our soups.”

    Garza says he was fired from his job for coming forward. He told Local 4 News the company has not followed up with him after he has released the audio and raised concerns about the workplace environment.

    In Florida, AG Uthmeier is most concerned with the admission of the company’s alleged use of bioengineered meat.

    He wrote on social media Monday, “Florida law bans lab-grown meat. Our Consumer Protection division is launching an investigation and will demand answers from Campbell’s.”

    Florida’s ban on lab-grown meat was signed into law in May 2024 by Gov. Ron DeSantis. It went into effect the following July. 

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    “This whole thing is a made-for-television event, and it’s specifically made for television for the CFO’s reelection”

    An audit found “funding did not follow the child” to private schools or homeschool

    Decker, who was on assignment for three news outlets, was covering a protest action by Sunshine Movement, which saw many of its members arrested.





    Chloe Greenberg
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  • Ban on kratom 7-OH in Florida challenged



    Credit: via James Uthmeier/X

    Companies that sell a byproduct of kratom, known as 7-OH, and users of the substance are challenging an emergency rule banning its sale and manufacture in Florida.

    Attorney General James Uthmeier on Aug. 15 issued an emergency rule prohibiting the alkaloid 7-hydroxymitragynine, known as 7-OH, and adding it to the list of the state’s most dangerous drugs. The ban on the concentrated byproduct of kratom, which was sold in smoke shops throughout the state, went into effect immediately.

    The compound — available in such products as drinks, gummies and powders — has skyrocketed in popularity over the past few years. Doctors say 7-OH acts on the same parts of the brain and is as addictive as opioids.

    An administrative complaint filed Monday alleges that the emergency ban is invalid, in part, because Uthmeier’s office failed to follow proper rulemaking procedures and it “was not adopted under a procedure which was fair under the circumstances.”

    Florida law allows the attorney general to adopt emergency rules to classify a “new substance” as a Schedule 1 drug on a temporary basis if necessary “to avoid an imminent hazard to the public safety.”

    Under state law, Schedule 1 drugs are substances that have a “high potential for abuse” and have “no currently accepted medical use in treatment.”

    The complaint filed Monday at the state Division of Administrative Hearings alleges that “there is an insufficient factual or scientific basis” to show that the banned products are “being used in a manner” that “creates a substantial likelihood of hazard to the user’s health or the safety of the community,” as required for an emergency rule.

    The complaint was filed on behalf of The Mystic Grove, LLC, a Florida-based company that operates two retail stores; Green Brothers Wholesale, Inc., which distributes hemp, kratom and other smoke-shop products; and six people — identified as K.T., B.M., J.E., A.G., A.R. and M.D. — who use 7-OH products. The businesses and the 7-OH users are represented by J. Stephen Menton of the Rutledge Ecenia, P.A. firm and Paula Savchenko of PS Law Group.

    Uthmeier’s office “has provided no evidence of widespread or habitual misuse, no documentation of diversion from legal channels, and no indication that 7-OH poses a greater risk than comparable over-the-counter botanical or nutraceutical products,” the 44-page complaint said.

    Instead, “epidemiological data and real-world usage patterns” suggest that the substance “has been widely used as a harm reduction tool” by people addicted to illegal street drugs such as fentanyl or heroin or to address chronic pain.

    “The absence of overdose deaths attributable solely to 7-OH undermines any claim that the substance presents a substantial likelihood of harm under the statutory definition,” lawyers wrote.

    During a news conference in August, Uthmeier said he planned to work with lawmakers during the 2026 legislative session on a measure to make the ban on 7-OH, which is effective for a year, permanent. The session will start in January.

    “It is a significant painkiller. It has been proven to be highly addictive and easily can be overdosed, so it’s very dangerous,” Uthmeier said at the time. “We are taking emergency action now because we see immediate danger.”

    According to the newly filed complaint, the emergency rule left The Mystic Grove with “significant inventory of 7-OH that, although legal to possess and sell the day before, was suddenly illegal.” The company’s estimated economic losses run to several thousand dollars per month.

    Green Brothers’ business dropped by about 60 percent after the rule went into effect, which “is consistent with industry-wide contraction resulting from the ban,” the complaint said.

    As an example of the people in the case, the complaint said that “M.D.” unsuccessfully struggled for years to kick his opioid addiction.

    “While kratom powder initially helped him reduce his dependence on opiates, it was not until he discovered 7-OH tablets that he was able to achieve lasting control over his addiction,” the complaint said.

    The emergency scheduling of 7-OH “threatens to upend his progress and poses a direct risk of relapse,” according to the complaint.

    Uthmeier’s action came weeks after President Donald Trump’s administration took initial steps to add 7-OH to the nation’s list of dangerous drugs as part of a broader effort to address opioid addiction.

    The rule challenge filed Monday maintains that no new science has emerged since the federal Food and Drug Administration dropped an effort to ban 7-OH in 2018.

    “There is no compelling new scientific evidence that has suddenly become accepted in the scientific community to support a claim of an imminent health crisis sufficient to reverse the 2018 FDA determinations,” the complaint said.

    Florida in 2023 prohibited the sale of kratom, a plant whose botanical name is “mitragyna speciosa,” to people under age 21. But legislation aimed at regulating or banning sale or use altogether has not passed.

    The 7-OH alkaloid is one of the kratom’s most potent active compounds. Levels of 7-OH levels are low in whole kratom leaves, while isolated or concentrated forms of the compound are much stronger and often are sold as natural or health supplements.

    Efforts to ban 7-OH in Florida and elsewhere have sparked a deep divide within the kratom industry, pitting manufacturers and consumers of the concentrated alkaloid against advocates for kratom in powder or leaf form.

    The rapid advent of 7-OH at gas stations, smoke shops and other retail stores made a significant dent in the sales of powdered and leaf-based kratom products, according to industry experts.

    David Bregger, whose son died of an overdose in Colorado, blamed the death on the toxic effects of a concentrated form of kratom mixed with diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in Benadryl, along with other over-the-counter sleep aids.

    Bregger, who called 7-OH “a horrible dangerous substance,” is pushing for strict regulations for the kratom industry.

    “Pure leaf kratom is safe. It shouldn’t be banned,” Bregger told The News Service of Florida in an August phone interview. “You can’t overdose on it, really.”

    But proponents of 7-OH contend that the number of opioid deaths nationally has dropped since 7-OH entered the market two years ago.

    “Without clear evidence of a surge in hospitalizations, toxicological alerts, or overdose deaths, there is no basis to suddenly declare an imminent hazard to public health,” the complaint said.

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    Uthmeier called the touring show “openly anti-Christian,” expressing his concern it would result in religious discrimination.

    Gov. DeSantis’ delay means some voters won’t be represented until after the next legislative session ends

    The majority of unexpected departures in Orange County were children in immigrant families, said school board member Stephanie Vanos.





    Dara Kam, News Service of Florida
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  • Florida AG announces criminal investigation into video game Roblox



    Credit: Shutterstock

    Following a civil subpoena earlier this year, Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Monday that he is issuing a criminal subpoena to Roblox, an online video game.

    According to Uthmeier’s office, “multiple investigations have revealed that sexual predators are using Roblox to access, communicate with, and groom minors.”

    “Roblox profited off of our kids while exposing them to the most dangerous of harms. They enabled our kids to be abused,” Uthmeier said in a video posted to his social media. “Companies like Roblox have become breeding grounds for predators to get to and have access to our kids.”

    The attorney general said there have been reports of predators using Robux, the in-game currency, “to bribe minors into sending sexually explicit images of themselves.”

    According to the attorney general, victims accuse Roblox of failing to implement safety measures and failing to warn parents of the dangers the game could pose to their children. 

    In a response to the Phoenix, Roblox said, “We share Attorney General Uthmeier’s commitment to keeping kids safe and we will continue to assist his office in their investigations.”

    “We have a strong record of working with law enforcement and investing in advanced safety systems to help protect our users and remove bad actors. To safeguard users, we prohibit the sharing of images and videos in the chat, use filters designed to block the exchange of personal information, and we are working to implement age estimation for all users accessing chat features,” Roblox continued.

    The attorney general said there have been “troubling allegations” that the game has been negligent in verifying users’ ages and failed in content moderation. 

    “These criminal subpoenas will enable us to gather more information for our prosecutors about the criminal activity taking place on Roblox’ platform as well as evidence on the predators that are out there and the victims that are abused,” Uthmeier said. 

    Uthmeier appeared on Fox & Friends First Monday to talk about the launch of the investigation. 

    “Here in Florida we’ve arrested over 1,000 child predators just this year, and many of these investigations lead right back to Roblox,” Uthmeier said. 

    Predators often pose as young people and “engage in long-term dialogue” with the minors, “and in the worst of cases, we’ve seen actual physical abuse,” Uthmeier added.

    In 2023 and 2024, Roblox was included on the National Center on Sexual Exploitation Dirty Dozen list. 

    The list, since 2013, calls out “mainstream entities for facilitating, enabling, and even profiting from sexual abuse and exploitation.”

    In 2024, other companies on the list included Reddit, Discord, Spotify, Telegram, LinkedIn, Meta, Apple, Cash App, GitHub, and Cloudfare. A federal law, the Communications Decency Act Section 230, provides legal immunity for for technology companies for material posted by users.

    The center did not release a list of companies for 2025; instead, it showcased victims it said were denied justice as a result of the federal law and called for its repeal.

    “While no system is perfect, our trained teams and automated tools continuously monitor communications to detect and remove harmful content. We are committed to leading the industry in safety and transparency,” Roblox concluded its statement.

    Earlier this year

    In April, Uthmeier requested information from Roblox, such as how many of the game’s users are under the age of 16, marketing materials that relate to suitability for children, documents showing parental controls, and documents showing steps Roblox has taken to ensure children do not see mature content. 

    Uthmeier’s April subpoena also sought communications with the National Center relating to Floridians and communication with Florida users reporting abuse.

    Uthmeier told Fox & Friends that after the April subpoena, “what we found is evidence that they’ve been operating in a careless way. They know child predators are using the app to go after our kids and they haven’t done enough about it.”

    Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Contact Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com. Follow Florida Phoenix on Facebook and Twitter.

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    ‘Investigations have revealed that sexual predators are using Roblox to access, communicate with, and groom minors’

    Once green-lighted from the federal government, the aircrafts would be expected to provide short air transport ‘like an Uber’

    Florida Republican Ryan Chamberlin filed similar legislation for consideration earlier this year but it failed to pass





    Jay Waagmeester, Florida Phoenix
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  • Florida AG James Uthmeier alleges Roku sold kids’ information



    Credit: via Roku/Facebook

    Roku, the smart TV company, has raised the eyebrows of Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who alleges the company sold children’s consumer data.

    Uthmeier’s Office of Parental Rights is taking action against the tech company in the Collier County Circuit Court. Uthmeier opened that office in April in the interest of “putting our money where out mouth is.”

    “We believe that Roku has taken, used, shared, and sold the personal, sensitive data of our consumers, namely, our kids, and that they’ve done so in violation of the Florida Digital Bill of Rights and the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act,” Uthmeier said in a video posted to his social media.

    Uthmeier said he believes Roku has used and sold data “regarding online preferences and behaviors of kids, videos and images that they might use online, even their location.”

    “This is wrong and it violates Florida’s commitment to parental rights,” Uthmeier said.

    In a news release, Uthmeier’s office said Roku “collected, sold, and enabled reidentification of sensitive personal data — including viewing habits, voice recordings, and other information from children — without authorization or meaningful notice to Florida families.”

    The company didn’t protect parental consent or effectively disclose privacy controls and opt-out tools, the attorney general said.

    The AG’s civil enforcement action targets Roku and its Florida subsidiary for violations of the laws mentioned above. He seeks civil penalties, injunctive relief, and measures ensuring Roku provides clearer disclosures and “lawful parental-control mechanisms.”

    “Roku knows that some of its users are children but has consciously decided not to implement industry-standard user profiles to identify which of its users are children. Roku buries its head in the sand so that it can continue processing and selling children’s valuable personal and sensitive data,” the attorney general alleges in his 25-page complaint.

    Roku forms partnerships with third-party data brokers “in an effort to avoid complying with Florida law,” Uthmeier contends.

    One of the data brokers is Kochava, “a data broker with a long history of privacy violations and public scrutiny,” he wrote.

    The complaint alleges that Roku does not perform age verification and thus does not comply with the Florida statute, passed in 2023. The Digital Bill of Rights was designed to protect children and others from big tech, the Phoenix reported at the time.

    According to Roku’s website, its devices are used by “millions of consumers” and the company cites a 2022 report that found it to be the No. 1 TV streaming platform in United States, Canada, and Mexico by hours streamed.

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    The request was made by dozens of attorneys and former judges to investigate Bondi for alleged state ethics violations

    A fun-sized dose of adventurous theater

    A pair of reproductive-related bills have been filed in the Florida Legislature in advance of the 2026 legislative session





    Jay Waagmeester, Florida Phoenix
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  • Florida AG among leaders backing Trump’s use of National Guard



    Credit: Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok

    President Donald Trump’s novel use of National Guard troops for law enforcement purposes has reopened a debate over states’ authority to control police powers, as dueling briefs from current and former state leaders filed in Illinois’ lawsuit against the president show.

    A bipartisan group of former governors said Trump’s federalization and deployment of National Guard members to Chicago to control “modest” protests upended the careful balance between state and federal powers. 

    At the same time, a group of 17 current Republican attorneys general told the court they supported the administration’s move that they said was necessary to protect immigration enforcement officers.

    Both groups submitted friend-of-the-court briefs in the suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division brought by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to block the Trump administration’s deployment of National Guard troops to the nation’s third-largest city. 

    Trump on Wednesday called for the arrest of Johnson and Pritzker for not assisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, a provocative demand that raised further concerns about his administration’s relationship with state leaders.

    The bipartisan group supported Pritzker and Johnson’s call for a restraining order to block the deployment, while the Republicans said the restraining order should be denied.

    Democratic attorneys general back Oregon 

    In another case, in which Oregon is challenging Trump’s order to deploy troops to Portland, Democratic governors or attorneys general in 23 states and the District of Columbia argued in support of the state’s position.

    Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was among those siding with Oregon, said Wednesday he did so to “put an end to the dangerous overreach of power we are seeing with Donald Trump’s Guard deployments.”

    The brief was also signed by Democratic state officials from Washington state, Maryland, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, Kansas and Kentucky and the District of Columbia’s attorney general.

    Former govs say deployment robs state authority

    The federalist structure of the U.S. government, which bestows powers to both the federal and state governments, leaves broad police power to the states, the bipartisan group wrote. 

    Sending military forces to conduct law enforcement would unbalance that arrangement, they said.

    That group includes Democratic former Govs. Jerry Brown of California, Steve Bullock of Montana, Mark Dayton of Minnesota, Jim Doyle of Wisconsin, Parris Glendening and Martin O’Malley of Maryland, Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, Christine Gregoire, Jay Inslee and Gary Locke of Washington, Tony Knowles of Alaska, Terry McAuliffe of Virginia, Janet Napolitano of Arizona, Deval Patrick of Massachusetts, Bill Ritter Jr. of Colorado, Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, Steve Sisolak of Nevada, Eliot Spitzer of New York, Ted Strickland of Ohio, Tom Vilsack of Iowa and Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania.

    GOP former Govs. Arne Carlson of Minnesota, Bill Graves of Kansas, Marc Racicot of Montana, Bill Weld of Massachusetts and Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey also signed the brief.

    “The present deployment of military resources, based on an assertion of nearly unfettered federal authority, is unlawful,” they wrote. “The president’s assertion of authority to deploy military troops on domestic soil based on his unreviewable discretion, and without the cooperation and coordination of state authorities, threatens to upset the delicate balance of state and federal authority that underlies our constitutional order.”

    The Trump administration misunderstands the section of federal law that Trump has relied on to federalize National Guard troops, the group said. 

    The administration’s claim that only the president can decide if the conditions are met for National Guard units to be federalized “not only undermines state sovereignty but also deprives governors of a critical public safety tool,” they wrote.

    “If federalization of the National Guard is unreviewable, a president motivated by ill will or competing policy priorities could divert Guard resources away from critical state needs, including natural disasters or public health crises,” they continued.

    States need ICE enforcement, GOP govs say

    The group of current Republican attorneys general argued their states are harmed by the protests in Chicago and other cities that impede federal ICE officers from doing their jobs.

    The attorneys general are Brenna Bird of Iowa, Austin Knudsen of Montana, Gentner Drummond of Oklahoma, Alan Wilson of South Carolina, Steve Marshall of Alabama, Tim Griffin of Arkansas, James Uthmeier of Florida, Chris Carr of Georgia, Raúl R. Labrador of Idaho, Todd Rokita of Indiana, Lynn Fitch of Mississippi, Catherine Hanaway of Missouri, Michael T. Hilgers of Nebraska, Marty Jackley of South Dakota, Ken Paxton of Texas and John B. McCuskey of West Virginia.

    They described the protests in Chicago as acts of violence that require a strong response.

    “Rather than protest peacefully, some of those protests became violent, threatening federal officers, harming federal property, and certainly impeding enforcement of federal law,” they wrote. “President Trump’s deployment of a small number of National Guard members to defend against this lawlessness is responsible, constitutional, and authorized by statute.”

    The attorneys general added that their states had been harmed by immigrants in the country without legal authorization who had settled in their states, which they said gave the president a public interest purpose in calling up troops to assist. 

    “The President’s action of federalizing the National Guard furthers the public interest because it allows ICE agents to continue to perform their statutory duties of identifying, apprehending, and removing illegal aliens, which is the only way to protect the States from the harms caused by illegal immigration,” they wrote.

    Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Contact Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com. Follow Florida Phoenix on Facebook and Twitter.

    Subscribe to Orlando Weekly newsletters.

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    Trump’s use of National Guard troops for law enforcement purposes has reopened a debate over states’ authority to control police powers

    There are exceptions if the employer can establish the use of cannabis is impairing a worker’s ability to perform their job

    The home comes with two pools, a private beach, an elevator, a four-car garage and more





    Florida Phoenix
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  • Trump backs James Uthmeier for Florida attorney general in 2026



    Credit: via James Uthmeier/X

    Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier received a big boost in his bid for a full four-year term next year when President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he was endorsing him in 2026.

    “James Uthmeier is a Strong Conservative Fighter and Prosecutor, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement — HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!” Trump posted on his Truth Social page.

    “James is an America First Warrior, who is a true champion for ‘MAGA,’” the president added. “He is THE MAN behind ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ, and argued strongly at the United States Supreme Court in defense of my Executive Power to fire Deep State bureaucrats. Under James’ fearless leadership, over 1,000 CRIMINAL PEDOPHILES have been arrested, missing children have been SAVED, and our Great Members of Law Enforcement have been empowered to do their jobs and, KEEP FLORIDA SAFE. In his next term, James will continue to work tirelessly to Ensure Law and Order, Uphold our Constitutional Rights, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment.”

    The endorsement came a month after reports surfaced that the president was considering backing Florida Speaker of the House Daniel Perez for AG.

    Uthemier, 37, is a close ally of Gov. Ron DeSantis.

    The governor appointed him in February to serve as attorney general, after the office fell vacant when DeSantis appointed Ashley Moody to replace Marco Rubio in the U.S. Senate. Next year’s election will be the first time he has ever run for political office.

    Earlier, Uthmeier served for more than three years as chief of staff to DeSantis. He also served for several months as campaign manager in the governor’s unsuccessful candidacy for president in 2023-2024, replacing Generra Peck in August 2023.

    While the Trump endorsement is big, it doesn’t mean it’s all clear sailing for Uthmeier. That’s because of his involvement in the controversy surrounding Hope Florida, the state program First Lady Casey DeSantis created to move Floridians off government services and into private charity.

    That story revolves around a $10 million from a Medicaid over-billing settlement the DeSantis administration steered to the Hope Florida Foundation in 2024. That money was ultimately diverted to a political committee created to fight a proposed constitutional amendment legalizing marijuana that Uthmeier headed.

    Florida Rep. Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, chaired a committee in the Florida House during the 2025 legislative session that investigated the story. He has accused the attorney general of money laundering and wire fraud, and has called on him to resign.

    Uthmeier has denied any wrongdoing.

    The story resurfaced last week after the Tampa Bay Times and Miami Herald reported that the state’s attorney in Tallahassee has convened a grand jury relating to the Hope Florida Foundation.

    ‘America-first’

    During his swearing-in ceremony in February, Uthmeier promised to champion an “America-first” agenda. “We will not stand idly by as the left tries to infiltrate our institutions and use the court system to indoctrinate our kids,” Uthmeier said. “We will fight the activists that try to weaken our duly enacted laws, that try to challenge the constitutional order, and that try to harm the unborn.”

    Uthmeier has raised nearly $600,000 in his regular campaign account, and more than $2 million through his political committee, Friends of James Uthmeier.

    Among the Democrats running for the nomination for attorney general next year, the best-known candidate is former South Florida state Sen. José Javier Rodríguez.

    Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Contact Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com. Follow Florida Phoenix on Facebook and Twitter.

    Subscribe to Orlando Weekly newsletters.

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    Trump’s use of National Guard troops for law enforcement purposes has reopened a debate over states’ authority to control police powers

    The home comes with two pools, a private beach, an elevator, a four-car garage and more

    The law, effective July 1, created harsher penalties for driving 50 mph or more above the speed limit





    Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix
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  • Florida AG accuses Monique Worrell of refusing to prosecute pedophiles – Orlando Weekly



    Credit: via James Uthmeier/X

    Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Friday accused a Democratic state attorney he’s long-feuded with of declining to prosecute pedophiles.

    Uthmeier hosted an Orlando press conference Friday morning to castigate Monique Worrell, state attorney for Orange and Osceola counties, for failing to prosecute a man who allegedly masturbated in front of children and another man accused of possessing thousands of videos of child pornography.

    This was Uthmeier’s second press conference in a month targeting Worrell, whom Gov. Ron DeSantis removed from office in 2023 but subsequently won reelection.

    “This is systematic abuse. This is gross negligence,” Uthmeier said, demanding she “reconsider” the dropped charges or he will try to get the case reassigned to another attorney. “[Worrell] took an oath, she’s not delivering on that oath, and we’re going to step up and do what we can to hold her accountable and to protect our citizens.”

    Of note, the power to suspend and remove state attorneys lies solely with the governor. The attorney general exercises a mere “superintendent” role over Florida’s 20 elected state attorneys.

    Worrell’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

    Uthmeier has long-clashed with Worrell. Earlier this month, he hinted that she should be suspended — again — for bringing a second-degree murder case against a women Uthmeier believes acted in self-defense. He recited the Florida Constitution’s ground for suspension of an elected official at a press conference, before asking her to investigate a former Democratic state senator for posting the location of ICE agents.

    In April, amid a weeks-long war of words between Uthmeier, accused by her of being “uninformed,” and Worrell, whom he called “soft on crime,” the AG claimed she was ignoring a mounting backlog of cases. When Uthmeier served as DeSantis’ chief of staff, the governor suspended Worrell in August 2023 for allegedly neglecting “her duty to faithfully prosecute crime in her jurisdiction.”

    Despite this, she retook her seat in November 2024 when voters chose her over Andrew Bain, appointed by DeSantis to replace her.

    What are the cases that weren’t prosecuted?

    According to a letter sent from the attorney general’s office to Worrell, there were two cases involving children that Worrell declined to prosecute. The first involves a man named Kevin Chapman, 61, arrested for lewd and lascivious exhibition in the presence of a child under 16.

    “Not only did your office fail to pursue pretrial detention, but it declined to charge him, claiming that the case was ‘not suitable for prosecution,’” Uthmeier wrote. “I strongly encourage you to reconsider dismissing the charge against Chapman.”

    The other case Worrell allegedly declined to prosecute was against Thomas Dolgos, who had his electronics searched and seized in June. During the search, Dolgos admitted to possessing child pornography. A preliminary view of his devices suggested thousands of images of child pornography, the letter says.

    The Office of Statewide Prosecution assumed the case, but Uthmeier claims that an attorney from Worrell’s office “inexplicably” dismissed all charges and discharged Dolgos’ bond, freeing him. Dolgos was apprehended at the Canada border and the statewide prosecutor charged him with an additional 48 counts of child pornography.

    “Your office’s dismissal of Dolgos’ charges was an unacceptable mistake,” Uthmeier wrote. “Your office should never dismiss a case OSP is managing. … At best, it suggests a lack of adequate training in your office. Please address this deficiency and make sure it does not happen again.”

    Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Contact Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com. Follow Florida Phoenix on Facebook and Twitter.

    Subscribe to Orlando Weekly newsletters.

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    It comes with an enclosed courtyard pool, a summer kitchen with a pizza oven, a private tennis court and more

    The show is a fundraiser for the Yellow Brick Road Foundation

    We were all, indeed, taken out





    Livia Caputo, Florida Phoenix
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  • ‘Violent extremism’ the focus of Florida AG’s new tip line – Orlando Weekly



    Credit: via James Uthmeier/X

    Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas has found probable cause that a Clay County teacher displayed “gross immorality” in posting about Charlie Kirk’s death, he announced Monday as Attorney General James Uthmeier launched a tip line to report “violent extremism.”

    The teacher, left nameless by Kamoutsas, could lose her teaching license after she posted to social media, “This may not be the obituary. [sic] We were all hoping to wake up to, but this is a close second for me,” News 4 Jax reported. Kamoutsas said the post included an article about Kirk’s assassination, which occurred at a college in Utah. 

    In keeping with his promise two weeks ago to investigate teachers making “despicable comments” about Kirk’s death, Kamoutsas said he found probable cause on four Education Code violations. Either the teacher can forfeit her license, or she can be tried in front of department’s Education Practices Commission or the Department of Administrative Hearings.

    The commissioner is seeking the revocation of the teacher’s license. 

    “As these posts continue to circulate, more and more students are exposed to the dangerous and false idea that violence is an acceptable response to differing beliefs, an idea that has no place and will have no place here in Florida schools,” Kamoutsas said. 

    The four standards Kamoutsas alleges the teacher breached are gross immorality, failure to protect the health, safety and welfare of students, reduced effectiveness as an educator, and failing to distinguish her personal views from the school’s.

    “Holding educators accountable for speech that celebrates violence in schools is not a violation of free speech, it is a necessary step to uphold the standards of the teaching profession and the safety of our schools,” Kamoutsas said. 

    Last week, Florida Education Association President Andrew Spar told the Phoenix that the commissioner’s letter to superintendents vowing investigations sends a “chilling effect throughout the profession.”

    “For the commissioner to say there’s no longer a second-chance mentality in education and that he’s going to personally investigate and essentially be the investigator, the prosecutor, and the judge and jury in all of these cases is quite concerning,” Spar said.

    New portal for complaints

    On a broader scope, Uthmeier’s office opened the “Combatting Violent Extremism Portal” “where people will be able to report anything they observe or hear that is a call for violence or a threat for violence against other individuals,” he said. 

    “Let me be clear, we respect the First Amendment more than anybody. We’re not going to be the cancel culture that we’ve seen from so long from the Left. We’re not going to believe in silencing individuals. But there’s a big difference when it comes to a threat of violence, a call for violence. That is not protected by the First Amendment,” Uthmeier said. 

    Since Kirk’s death, people nationwide have lost jobs for speaking about Kirk’s death in a manner their employer views as disfavored, such as late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel.

    Teachers are held to higher standards than many other professions, the state officials said.

    “It’s never been more important for people to speak up, for us to have safe academic environments where people feel confident to engage in discussion, free from attack, free from violence,” Uthmeier said. 

    The portal, not exclusive to education settings, allows people to submit screenshots, videos, or other evidence of threatened violence to Uthmeier’s office, anonymously if they want to.

    “We must protect before people are shot, before explosives go off,” Uthmeier said. 

    Warning against abusing the portal, Uthmeier said, “We’re going to take everything seriously and, if you abuse this, if you provide something in a dishonest fashion to law enforcement, we’ll hold you accountable as well.”

    The campaign in-part mimics the Office of Parental Rights Uthmeier added to his office earlier this year to field complaints alleging violation of parental-rights laws. 

    “The First Amendment does not protect speech that is likely and intended to provoke immediate acts of violence, or speech that expresses a serious intent to commit a specific act of violence, but it does protect robust free expression, which includes criticism of the past words and actions of prominent public figures,” the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida said in an online statement last week following the state’s announcement it would investigate teachers.

    “Dissent, disagreement, and counterspeech that criticizes political views should not be confused with condoning or encouraging violence,” the ACLU said, and retaliation for such speech “feeds hostility and division.”

    After Kirk was killed, the ACLU continued, “Most people likely encountered speech they found despicable no matter where they fall on the political spectrum — that is the nature of a democracy where free speech is protected. While calling for further violence or condoning what happened to Charlie Kirk is wrong, many of the posts being cited for retaliation constitute core protected speech.”

    Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Contact Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com. Follow Florida Phoenix on Facebook and Twitter.

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    The portal allows people to submit screenshots, videos, or other evidence of threatened violence to Uthmeier’s office

    The Florida House’s property tax committee had its third meeting to explore how to slash property taxes

    Two deputies are seen following the animal from the front porch to the backyard, which the gator got to by ramming open a gate





    Jay Waagmeester, Florida Phoenix
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