Arguments are set for May 7 on whether Ron DeSantis has executive privilege and is shielded from releasing records

©2024 The News Service of Florida

A panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal next month will hear arguments in a potentially far-reaching case about whether “executive privilege” shields Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration from releasing records.

The court on Tuesday issued an order scheduling arguments May 7.

The case stems from a person, identified in court documents as J. Doe, filing a public records request seeking information from DeSantis’ office about people involved in discussions about appointing Florida Supreme Court justices.

In a subsequent lawsuit, Leon County Circuit Judge Angela Dempsey rejected the public records request on a series of grounds, including executive privilege.

State and national media organizations and open-government advocacy groups have said such use of executive privilege would undermine Florida’s public records law.

But lawyers in DeSantis’ office and Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office have disputed arguments that the use of executive privilege conflicts with a 1992 constitutional amendment aimed at providing access to public records.