Brechner Freedom of Information Project director David Cuillier is questioning Florida’s decision to remove detailed contract records tied to its new $250 million detention camp from a public website. 

“That’s a lot of our money that we deserve to see how it’s spent, and it’s a high-profile project,” Cuillier told The Reason in a new report. “There’s a lot of public interest, so this information should be proactively posted online.” 

The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) replaced full contract documents with summary pages after The Tributary reported on a $78 million agreement with Critical Response Strategies (CRS), a firm tied to one of Governor Ron DeSantis’ financial backers. 

FDEM said the documents contained proprietary information.  

The removed contracts were part of the Florida Accountability Contract Tracking System (FACTS), a public database managed by the Department of Financial Services. Cuillier noted the site includes a quote from Thomas Jefferson about the importance of transparency in government finances. 

“I love that the State of Florida cares so deeply about transparency and is quoting our great Thomas Jefferson about how critical it is,” Cuillier says. “Now they need to just follow through with that.” 

Posted: July 29, 2025
Category: Brechner News
Tagged as: Brechner FOI Project, Brechner Freedom of Information Project, FOI, FOIA, open records laws, public records, Secrecy Tracker