Ron DeSantis Hit With New Legal Headache

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at Daytona International Speedway on February 19, 2024, in Daytona Beach, Florida

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is being sued by a former top official in the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) alleging "wrongful termination."

Shane Desguin, who was FDLE's chief of staff until he was allegedly forced into retirement, filed the lawsuit against DeSantis and the FDLE overnight, ABC News reported on Thursday.

"Despite his stellar work performance during his employment," the lawsuit claims, Desguin "was subjected to disparate treatment, different terms and conditions of employment, and held to a different standard because he reported Defendants' malfeasance, gross misconduct and unlawful employment activities and was subject to retaliation thereafter."

Problems began to arise in late 2021, according to the lawsuit, and last year he received a formal notification from his agency that read: "Retired. Not involving misconduct," the suit claims.

The lawsuit alleges that he was ousted after he refused to comply with orders he said were illegal or inappropriate, such as being asked by a top DeSantis official to obtain "photographs, biometric data, and any other pertinent information by engaging with migrants at the airport."

DeSantis has tried to crack down on illegal immigration in Florida as the number of illegal migrant crossings has skyrocketed in recent years.

The lawsuit continued: "As these requests escalated, [Desguin] objected, and emphasized, on multiple occasions...FDLE could not legally conduct name checks, capture photographs, or compile intelligence files without a criminal predicate or reasonable suspicion, as those actions would be unlawful."

Newsweek reached out to DeSantis' press secretary, Jeremy Redfern, for comment and was referred to a post on X, formerly Twitter, that he wrote on Thursday.

"This guy [Desguin] was under a formal investigation, which revealed that he pointed his firearm at somebody in his office," Redfern wrote. "If I did that while in the military, I would've been court-martialed."

According to a Politico report published this month, the FDLE is investigating Desguin and the agency's former deputy chief of staff, Patricia Carpenter.

Investigators alleged that Desguin brought out his gun during a defensive tactics demonstration, took out the ammunition and then pointed it at Carpenter to show what do in response to the attack. Marie Mattox, attorney for Desguin and Carpenter, told Politico that "this is a lie and never occurred."

The investigation found that Desguin and Carpenter violated state rules on insubordination, ethics and workplace conduct. Investigators also said that evidence suggests the pair were involved in an improper "romantic relationship," Politico reported. However, a Tallahassee prosecutor declined to pursue charges.

Mattox called the allegations an effort to "smear their names and character after they made serious allegations...for blocking the release of [DeSantis'] travel records to the press and others," adding, "I cannot overstate the fact that [Desguin] was cleared of wrongdoing when he left FDLE in November of last year."

Newsweek also reached out to FDLE and Mattox about Desguin's lawsuit.

Additional Claims

Desguin also alleges in the suit that a top DeSantis aide told him in September 2023 that the governor wanted him to make arrests at a "neo-Nazi" demonstration in Orlando for political benefit, according to ABC News. He allegedly said that arrests couldn't be made for people just expressing their views.

"I don't think you understand," Desguin was told, according to the lawsuit. "If you look hard enough, you can find a way. The governor [DeSantis] wants someone arrested today. He will stand by you in any arrest." People at the demonstration ended up getting arrested, the lawsuit says.

Newsweek could not independently confirm which incident the lawsuit was referring to. On September 3, 2023, there were neo-Nazi demonstrators outside Disney World and near the Orlando area. But no one was arrested, according to multiple news outlets.

The lawsuit also detailed alleged struggles between Desguin and DeSantis' team over a request by The Washington Post for the governor's travel records. DeSantis and his office told FDLE to withhold the agency's records on the matter, according to the suit. They also allegedly refused to allow an agency lawyer, who disagreed with their refusal to turn over the travel records, to be promoted.

Despite the governor's office's wishes, Desguin, who claims DeSantis' refusal to turn over the records violated the law, authorized a raise for the agency lawyer, the suit says.

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