Florida Whistleblower Leaks Proposal To Pave Over Natural Parks

What's the story?

• Florida whistleblower James Gaddis was fired from the state's Department of Environmental Protection for exposing Gov. Ron DeSantis' secretive plan to replace preserved land with hotels, golf courses, and pickleball courts.
• Democrats and Republicans are united in an enraged response to the leaked proposals. DeSantis responded to the backlash by saying the plans were "half-baked" and were "going back to the drawing board."
• Gaddis reported that the proposal included 350-room hotels and thousands of acres paved for recreational activities over nine state parks. The whistleblower's documents show the proposal was drawn up in two weeks. 

What they're saying 

• Gaddis, who worked for the agency for two years as a cartographer, said that the preservation of the state parks was more important to him than his job at the department. He said his actions weren't political, but motivated by the vast environmental destruction that would take place if the plans were to be completed. He told the Tampa Bay Times:

"It was the absolute flagrant disregard for the critical, globally imperiled habitat in these parks. This was going to be a complete bulldozing of all of that habitat. The secrecy was totally confusing and very frustrating. No state agency should be behaving like this."

• Democratic Florida Reps. Anna Eskamani and Angie Nixon wrote in a letter to Shawn Hamilton, secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection:

"Firing a cartographer who had clear concerns about the process of this plan and the lack of transparency around it is 100% retaliatory. We want to not only hold the department accountable, but our motivation is to learn more about how this happened in such a secretive way…Our intention is to prevent this from ever happening again, and that requires a better understanding of how it happened in the first place."

• Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters that the plans were not seen or approved by him, adding that "[I]t was intentionally leaked to a leftwing group to try and create a narrative." Onlookers have called this "a totally self-inflicted political wound."
• Gaddis said he would take "sole responsibility" for the leaked proposal.

Do you agree with Gaddis' actions?

By Jamie Epstein

(Photo Credit: Flickr/CityofStPete)