A Florida appeals court rejected Governor Ron DeSantis’ claim that he can protect public data under executive privilege, a right not previously recognized by state law. This could have dramatically increased the governor’s authority to withhold records from the public. The ruling by the three justices of the 1st District Court of Appeal was a significant setback for DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody. They had argued that the governor’s office has the constitutional authority to protect documents related to internal discussions and deliberations.
