Top attorneys for Gov. Ron DeSantis penned the cease-and-desist letters sent by Florida’s health department threatening to criminally prosecute local TV stations over their airing of an abortion rights ad,

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ top lawyers prepared drafts of letters threatening criminal charges against broadcasters airing a pro-Amendment 4 ad to the Florida Department of Health’s legal counsel and told him to send them on the agency’s behalf,

A former attorney for the state of Florida says he resigned rather than continue sending cease-and-desist letters, which a federal judge has now called unconstitutional.

John Wilson, general counsel for the Florida Department of Health, wrote in a sworn affidavit that officials from Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) office pushed him to threaten television stations with criminal prosecutions if they did not take down ads in support of a Florida abortion rights measure.

John Wilson, who has resigned as the Florida Department of Health’s general counsel, said in an affidavit that DeSantis’ office wrote the cease-and-desist letters and told him to “send them under my name.