Florida 'whistleblower' says he was fired for leaking plans to build golf courses in state parks
Children make signs as they attend a protest against Gov. Ron DeSantis' plan to develop state parks with business ventures such as golf courses, pickleball courts and large hotels, during a demonstration at Oleta River State Park, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, in North Miami Beach, Fla. Credit: AP/Wilfredo Lee
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A former state employee who said he leaked information about the plans to build golf courses and hotels in Florida’s state parks has apparently been fired.
But James Gaddis, who described himself as an “ethical whistleblower,” said he doesn’t regret making the public aware of the proposals, according to the Palm Beach Post.
“I just happen to be a guy in the middle of all this and the clock was ticking, and I figured someone has to step up to the plate and stop the madness,” Gaddis told the newspaper.
Gaddis, who worked as a cartographer for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, said he was directed to draw up conceptual maps for the proposals to build golf courses, pickleball courts, 350-room hotels and more at nine state parks from Miami to the Panhandle.
Tasked with illustrating the plans to build sprawling developments in some of Florida’s most pristine habitats — some of which are globally rare — Gaddis said he snapped.
“I was drawing the golf course polygons and putting a point down where the hotel was going to go in Anastasia State Park (near St. Augustine) and I was already disgusted but it just kept getting worse and worse,” Gaddis said. “I said, ‘What I am mapping out here is too bad and too egregious and I can’t take this anymore.’”
Gaddis said he wrote up a summary of the proposals on his work computer and shared it, helping spark protests and massive public backlash against the plans, which the department has since withdrawn. Last week, Gov. Ron DeSantis calling the initiative “half-baked” and “not ready for prime time”.
Bonnie, a seven-month-old dachshund, licks Alexandra Maxwell's face as they a protest against Gov. Ron DeSantis' plan to develop state parks with business ventures such as golf courses, pickleball courts and large hotels, during a demonstration at Oleta River State Park, Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, in North Miami Beach, Fla. Credit: AP/Wilfredo Lee
After leaking the information, Gaddis was put on administrative leave on Aug. 30. The next day, he got a letter of dismissal in the mail saying he violated department policies.
A spokesperson for DEP did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.
A single father of an 11-year-old, Gaddis is being applauded as a hero on social media by opponents of the proposed development. As of Tuesday afternoon, a GoFundMe page created by Gaddis had raised more than $100,000.
A state salary database has his annual salary listed at $49,346.04
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