TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Democratic Party is accusing Attorney General James Uthmeier of allowing campaign fundraising to overlap with official state business following a recent Miami Herald investigation examining campaign contributions and actions taken by the Attorney General’s Office.
In a statement released Tuesday, Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried pointed to the Herald’s reporting, which documented several instances in which donors contributed to Uthmeier’s campaign or affiliated political committee before the Attorney General’s Office intervened in legal disputes involving those donors. The newspaper reported that the timing raised questions about the relationship between campaign fundraising and official government action, while also noting that it found no proof the office acted because of the donations.
“James Uthmeier has turned the Attorney General’s office into an auction house,” Fried said in a statement. She also criticized Uthmeier’s spending priorities, including support for the state’s immigration detention facility known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” and urged voters to elect Democratic attorney general candidate José Javier Rodríguez in November.
Miami Herald details multiple donor cases
According to the Miami Herald, the Attorney General’s Office intervened in at least three legal matters within days or weeks of $25,000 campaign contributions from individuals or entities connected to the cases. The report examined actions involving South Florida developers and automobile dealers, as well as other decisions involving campaign supporters.
The Herald also referenced Uthmeier’s involvement in matters related to:
- Developer Matthew Lazenby and a Bal Harbour development dispute.
- Two Roads Development and litigation involving a Miami condominium project.
- Auto dealer Norman Braman and litigation involving Scout Motors.
- A clemency case involving Sarah Jon Porreca, whose father later contributed to a political committee connected to Republican campaigns.
- State approval of land associated with a proposed Tampa Bay Rays stadium after a company tied to owner Patrick Zalupski contributed to Uthmeier’s political committee.
The Herald further noted ongoing scrutiny of Uthmeier’s role in the Hope Florida funding controversy, in which $10 million from a Medicaid settlement ultimately flowed through nonprofit organizations into a political committee that he controlled while serving as Gov. Ron DeSantis’ chief of staff. Uthmeier has denied wrongdoing and has said he was neither a target nor a suspect in the investigation.
Attorney General’s office disputes implication
According to the Herald, the Attorney General’s Office disputed any suggestion that official actions were tied to campaign donations.
In response to questions from the newspaper, spokesperson Jeremy Redfern said, “You’re reporting that the AG’s supporters happen to believe similar things that he believes? Shocking revelation.” The office did not dispute the timing of the interventions described in the report but rejected the implication that donations influenced official decisions.
Uthmeier, who was appointed attorney general by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2025, is seeking election to a full term in November.
