The governor's faithful supporter, Florida's attorney general, has launched a new court battle against the Biden administration over a disputed new legislation controlling unions that Ron DeSantis discussed on the presidential campaign trail.
Top White House officials, including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, are allegedly breaking the law by threatening to withhold hundreds of millions in federal grants unless a state panel grants waivers to Florida's new union law, according to a federal lawsuit filed in Fort Lauderdale by Attorney General Ashley Moody.
"Florida passed laws to protect workers from being strong-armed by unions," said Moody.
"Biden, intent on driving our country into the ground, continues to try to force states to implement his bad policies," she added.
Moody, who supported DeSantis in his presidential campaign, has a history of conflicts with the Biden administration, particularly regarding immigration.
Moody is thought of as a potential 2026 candidate for governor.
DeSantis prioritized Florida's new union law during the 2023 session, which was meant to serve as a launchpad for his presidential candidacy.
As a result of this effort, he has now fallen to third place or worse in several polls.
The bill, which went into effect on July 1, includes provisions that simplify decertifying unions and prohibit public businesses from taking union dues from employee paychecks.
Since the provisions did not apply to unions representing law enforcement officers and firefighters, critics claimed the law targeted DeSantis' political adversaries, such as Florida's teacher union.
However, this most recent altercation was predicted months ago.
Following concerns that the legislation would contradict federal labor regulations and jeopardize federal money, the bill was modified on the Senate floor to add a potential exception from the statute for mass transport personnel.
The Department of Transportation and Buttigieg's spokeswoman declined to comment on the "ongoing litigation."
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