Politics

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is leading the charge to defend Miami Dade College in higher court from allegations it violated the state’s Sunshine Law, raising the stakes in a case involving Donald Trump’s presidential library that could have sweeping implications for the future of government transparency.

Uthmeier’s office filed a notice of appeal Monday, seeking to overturn a Miami-Dade Circuit Court judge’s ruling temporarily blocking the college from giving away valuable downtown land for the construction of Trump’s presidential library.

If Uthmeier is successful before Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal, open-government advocates say it could set new legal precedent undermining public access to information about government meetings in the state.

“If the AG gets his way, then it will embolden every government agency in Florida to be vague, secretive and obfuscate important matters that they’re going to discuss at their meetings,” said David Cuillier, the director of the Freedom of Information Project in the University of Florida’s Brechner Center.