Joe Jacquot leaves Gov. Ron DeSantis’ general counsel team

Joe Jacquot is taking a position in the private sector.

Joe Jacquot on Thursday served his final day as a member of Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ general counsel team.

The University of Florida law graduate had served alongside DeSantis since January 2019 while his family remained in Jacksonville. Weekly, Jacquot would commute to the Governor’s Office and then return to Jacksonville to spend weekends with his family.

Director of Communications Fred Piccolo told Florida Politics that Jacquot will return to private practice and departs with the Governor’s full support.

“It has been an honor to serve you and your administration,” Jacquot wrote in his resignation letter. “I have a deep respect for your principled leadership, relying upon and furthering our constitutional democracy.”

Jacquot submitted his resignation to DeSantis roughly two weeks ago though he requested to remain on board for a chance to litigate the Florigrown case before the Florida Supreme Court.

He got that chance Wednesday.

Among his accomplishments, Jacquot led the legal team that navigated the Governor’s Office through the Phase 3 reopening plan amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He also oversaw the Governor’s judicial appointment process. During his tenure, five Justices were appointed to the Florida Supreme Court.

Before serving as the Governor’s general counsel, Jacquot worked in the private sector at Foley and Lardner LLP and at Black Knight Financial Services, according to his Linkedin. He also served as an adjunct professor at Florida State University where he taught a constitutional course at the FSU College of Law.

Notably, Jacquot served for four years as the Deputy Attorney General for Florida’s Attorney General Office. According to his Linkedin bio, he “led an office of 1100 employees, including 425 lawyers, and an annual budget of $189 million.” During that time, he argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in Florida v. Powell.

Jacquot graduated from the University of Virginia with a bachelor’s degree in Political and Social Thought.

“I wish you and the First Lady all the best,” his resignation letter concluded.