Sun. Jan 5th, 2025

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The political committee that pushed the proposed state constitutional amendment to enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution is disbanding.

Floridians Protecting Freedom submitted a letter to the state Division of Elections announcing it was disbanding effective Dec. 31 and that it would submit its last campaign finance report on Jan. 10, 2025.

The disbandment letter is dated Dec. 27 but the Department of State stamped it received on Dec. 26. It was signed by Floridians Protecting Freedom chair Sara Latshaw.

The disbandment letter comes after the organization earlier this month agreed to pay a $164,000 fine to the Department of State and to withdraw two legal challenges. One legal dispute was with the Department of State and was filed in the state Division of Administrative Hearings. That challenge focused on alleged fraud in the petition gathering process included in a preliminary report released by the state in October.

The second legal tussle was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida against Department of Health Secretary and State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo.

Floridians Protecting Freedom did not admit to or deny violating Florida election law regarding petition gathering.

The settlement agreement was made public after a DOS memo to Gov. Ron DeSantis, House Speaker Danny Perez, and Senate President Ben Albritton was made public.

Floridians Protecting Freedom was the committee behind Amendment 4. Although it was supported by a majority of voters, the 57% approval was shy of the 60% support it needed to pass.

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