The Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) has abruptly abandoned its legal campaign to pull a controversial television advertisement regarding the “Hope Florida” scandal from the airwaves. On Wednesday afternoon, the party filed a notice to dismiss its Highlands County lawsuit, effectively signaling a retreat after failing to convince two separate courts to silence the political spots.
The dismissal came just one day after a circuit judge refused to issue an emergency order blocking the ads without holding a hearing. The RPOF stated it moved to drop the case to allow prosecutors “latitude to conduct criminal investigations,” though the decision ends a week defined by unsuccessful attempts to suppress the content.
The ad in question claims that a leaked grand jury report revealed $10 million in taxpayer funds was misappropriated into a dark-money political committee controlled by Attorney General James Uthmeier.
The RPOF’s legal defeat began on October 16, when Uthmeier’s personal legal team, led by Christopher Kise, petitioned the First District Court of Appeal for an emergency injunction to stop the broadcast. Uthmeier argued that the ad violated Florida statutes by disseminating the “content, gist, or import” of a grand jury presentment that the court had previously ordered expunged. The appellate court denied the request that same day without explanation.
Stymied by the appeals court, the RPOF attempted a new strategy hours later, filing an ex parte lawsuit in Highlands County—a jurisdiction where none of the named defendants, including the Florida Democratic Party and several high-profile candidates, are based. The lawsuit sought an immediate order to block the ads without notifying the defendants. However, after the originally assigned judge recused herself, her replacement, Circuit Judge Peter F. Estrada, denied the request on Tuesday, ordering the RPOF to coordinate a proper hearing with the opposing parties.
Rather than face the defendants in court, the party filed for a voluntary dismissal on Wednesday. Under Florida rules, this dismissal is without prejudice, meaning the party technically retains the right to refile, though the political clock is ticking. With early voting already underway and the general election slated for November 3, the advertisements remain on the air.
Despite dropping the lawsuit, the RPOF’s previous intimidation tactics against broadcasters remain in place. Earlier this week, party lawyers sent formal letters to television stations across the state, warning that airing the advertisement constituted criminal conduct and claiming they had referred the matter to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and various state attorneys. Similar warnings were subsequently issued by state prosecutors in the Tampa Bay and Tenth Judicial circuits.
Neither the RPOF nor Attorney General Uthmeier have disputed the factual claims made in the ad regarding the contents of the leaked report. Instead, they have focused entirely on the legality of repeating information contained within a document they argue should remain under grand jury seal. The appellate court is currently weighing whether to unseal the records involved in the underlying case.
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