Democrats file criminal complaints against state’s website fighting Amendment 4

Nikki Fried wants to ensure qualified female candidates are not left behind. Image via AP.

Florida Democrats said they filed criminal complaints with the state attorney’s offices in Hillsborough, Leon and Orange counties over a state health agency’s website criticizing Amendment 4.

Florida Agency for Health Care Administration’s website claims, “Florida is protecting life. Don’t let the fearmongers lie to you,” making a case — using taxpayer resources — to vote down the constitutional amendment.

“The government has repeatedly used state power to interfere with the citizen-led initiative to get reproductive freedom on the ballot, and we will not allow it to continue — not on our watch,” Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said in a statement late Friday. “With 53 days until the election, it is our hope that today’s criminal complaints will be reviewed without delay and the website is taken down.”

Just a day earlier, the political committee behind the abortion rights initiative sued in Leon Circuit Court over the issue.

In the latest saga over the website, reproductive rights advocate Ellyson Kennedy wrote in her Orange County complaint, “The webpage specifically targets Amendment 4 and is filled with misinformation about its potential impacts. The campaign was created using taxpayer dollars and is using a one-sided argument to mislead the voters in Florida by trying to persuade them into voting No on Amendment 4. As you know, using an official government agency for campaigning is prohibited by state law.”

Adding to the political drama, the chief prosecutors in Hillsborough and Orange are both appointees of Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis suspended the voter-elected prosecutors and appointed Suzy Lopez in Tampa and Andrew Bain in Orlando. Both are running for full terms this November against the leaders DeSantis kicked out.

Florida Politics emailed the three state attorney’s offices after hours Friday and did not immediately get a response. The FDP did not immediately respond to a question about why it chose to file the complaints in those three counties.

Bain, who is running as an independent in a blue district, addressed the fight over abortion rights during this week’s forum at the League of Women Voters in Orange County.

One LWV member asked about reports the state was targeting Amendment 4 and sending election police to knock on doors to check over petition fraud claims. She wanted Bain’s response to what she calls “an abuse of power and an interference in our Democratic ballot measure process.”

“If a crime is being committed, please call my office or call the police,” Bain answered. “We’ll deal with it. We prosecute people. That’s what we do for a living.”