Florida Center for Government Accountability

"Sometimes politicians tell on themselves." Florida’s new voter‑ID law accepts nearly every ID issued by a state agency — except from educational institutions. It’s a move blatantly designed to make voting harder for young people. #DefendDemocracy orlandosentinel.com/2026/03/18/flo…

Elder exploitation is often brushed off as a civil matter, even when vulnerable adults are at risk. The Santinello case shows deep failures in how law enforcement & adult protective systems respond to dementia‑related vulnerability. #DefendDemocracy floridatrident.org/what-happened-…

An update to the case of Maya Kowalski, the woman at the center of the Netflix documentary “Take Care of Maya,” whose story we investigated back in 2022. #DefendDemocracy floridatrident.org/take-care-of-m…

A grand jury investigated the Hope Florida controversy & issued a report describing its findings. But the report remains secret. The Florida Trident is going to court to bring the truth to light. Help us fight for transparency: flcga.org/donate

Florida has – or used to have – the nation’s strongest government-in-the-sunshine laws. But the Legislature has riddled them with more than a thousand exemptions, and often public officials simply ignore the laws entirely. #DefendDemocracy floridatrident.org/florida-govern…

New anti-union legislation "changes union election rules, guts voluntary recognition rights for most public employees, and increases financial penalties for public employee strikes." #DefendDemocracy orlandoweekly.com/news/labor/ema…

A new bill waiting for Gov DeSantis' signature ensures that Floridians won't pay more for electricity or water because of data centers -- but it no longer requires public disclosure when one is being constructed. #DefendDemocracy tallahassee.com/story/news/sta…

"Signs of dysfunction between chambers were blatant from the beginning." #DefendDemocracy floridaphoenix.com/2026/03/13/emb…

Property insurance rates have been steadily rising in FL, while insurers reject claims more and more frequently -- with no state regulations providing any protection to policyholders. #DefendDemocracy orlandosentinel.com/2026/03/10/edi…

Read our 2024 exclusive interview with Bisa Hall: floridatrident.org/trident-exclus…

In July 2024 the Trident exposed Rep. Byron Donalds' brief time as a marijuana dealer, following our interview with his ex-wife, Bisa Hall. Rep. Donalds has now admitted to this past in an interview with CBS News. #DefendDemocracy cbsnews.com/miami/news/byr…

Florida law enforcement shuns the wearing of masks, and officers are readily identifiable with name tags & badge numbers. Yet lawmakers won’t consider a bill to prevent masked ICE agents, despite fatal shootings and rising impersonation. #DefendDemocracy floridatrident.org/florida-legisl…

Several pending policy changes are leading to "a sweeping rollback of Florida’s land protection framework and a direct threat to the Florida Wildlife Corridor." #DefendDemocracy theinvadingsea.com/2026/03/04/flo…

Florida measles cases increased five-fold from January to February, making Florida third-highest in the nation for measles this year. #DefendDemocracy floridatrident.org/florida-lawmak…

"At one point, the state estimated the Everglades facility’s 'daily burn' rate – how much cash it cost on a daily basis to support 500 detainees – was more than $1.2 million a day." #DefendDemocracy floridatrib.org/2026/03/01/new…

A piece of legislation "meant to crack down on hyperpartisanship" at Florida colleges and universities is moving through the House, but its Senate counterpart isn't getting traction, decreasing the likelihood of the House bill passing. #DefendDemocracy floridapolitics.com/archives/78248…

"Empowered by industry-friendly state statutes and court rulings," property insurance companies are blocking homeowners from obtaining important information determining claim denials and payouts by labeling them as "trade secrets." #DefendDemocracy sun-sentinel.com/2026/02/26/how…

#DefendDemocracy rawstory.com/gop-health-car…

"A DeSantis-backed bill banning artificial intelligence data center companies from keeping secret their plans to locate or expand in Florida unanimously cleared the Senate Floor Thursday." #DefendDemocracy floridaphoenix.com/briefs/florida…