Ron DeSantis Sends Ominous Threat To TV Station That Aired Pro-Choice Ad

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ® last week continued his full-court press against a pro-choice ballot measure that will be in front of the state’s voters in a month.

DeSantis’ administration is threatening to bring criminal charges against a local news channel that aired an advertisement in support of the abortion rights measure, Amendment 4, which would overturn DeSantis’ six-week abortion ban and restore access to the procedure until fetal viability.

The Florida governor has spent substantial amounts of taxpayer money to fight Amendment 4, including by weaponizing a nonpartisan government agency to spread misinformation and launching an unprecedented investigation into petition signatures already verified by the state, alleging a need to combat voter fraud.

Last week, Florida’s Department of Health sent a letter to a local NBC affiliate suggesting that an ad in support of Amendment 4 violates the state’s so-called “sanitary nuisance” law. The letter, first reported by journalist Jason Garcia, claims that the news channel may be committing a second-degree misdemeanor, and that its employees could be penalized with a 60-day jail sentence.

It’s unclear if the agency only sent the letter to the NBC affiliate, or to others as well. Either way, a threat like this could have a chilling effect on publicly advocating for the pro-choice measure, just weeks away from when it will be in front of voters. Florida’s Department of Health did not respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.

The sanitary nuisance law is meant to curb conditions that can threaten or impair Floridians’ health. It normally pertains to issues like overflowing septic tanks and problematic garbage disposals. Instead, DeSantis’ Department of Health is applying the