Ron DeSantis accused of ‘intimidation campaign’ against abortion rights

Ron DeSantis is making a concerted effort to maintain draconian limits on abortion access in Florida that have led to accusations the rightwing Republican governor is conducting a "state-sponsored intimidation campaign" against abortion rights and trampling on civil liberties in the state.

A near total ban on abortions after the first six weeks of pregnancy took effect in Florida in May after the state supreme court ruled that the right to an abortion was no longer covered by the privacy clause in the Florida constitution.

Passage of legislation called Amendment 4 would change the state constitution to prohibit government interference with the right to an abortion before the viability of a fetus, which typically begins around the 24th week of a pregnancy.

But registered voters in Florida have recently reported unannounced visits from law enforcement personnel that appear to be part of an all-out drive by DeSantis to use state government agencies and public funds to block passage of Amendment 4, which would enshrine in the state constitution a woman's right to an abortion.

The experience of Isaac Menasche is a cautionary tale. In early September, Menasche received an unexpected visitor at his home in the Florida Gulf coast city of Fort Myers - a plainclothes detective with a badge and a folder stuffed with documents containing Menasche's personal information.

They included copies of his driver's license and a petition form he had signed months ago at a local farmer's market on behalf of a campaign to qualify a pro-choice referendum for the statewide ballot in this year's general election.

The detective who turned up on Menasche's doorstep wanted to know why his signature on the petition form did not match the one on his driver's license. The retired 71-year-old attorney conceded the point but explained that his signature can sometimes vary. The officer left shortly thereafter.