James Uthmeier | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2025 | |
| 39thFlorida Attorney General | |
| Assumed office February 17, 2025 | |
| Governor | Ron DeSantis |
| Preceded by | Ashley Moody |
| Chief of Staff to theGovernor of Florida | |
| In office October 2021 – February 2025 | |
| Governor | Ron DeSantis |
| Preceded by | Adrian Lukis |
| Succeeded by | Jason Weida |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James William Uthmeier (1987-11-25)November 25, 1987 (age 37) Destin, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Jean Uthmeier |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Florida (BS,MA) Georgetown University (JD) |
James William Uthmeier (/uːθmaɪər/UHTH-my-ər; born November 20, 1987) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the 39thFlorida attorney general since 2025. A member of theRepublican Party, he previously served aschief of staff to GovernorRon DeSantis from 2021 to 2025.
Uthmeier is a native ofDestin, Florida.[1] He was raised in a Catholic family, a faith which he follows today. He attendedFort Walton Beach High School and later graduated from theUniversity of Florida, where he had competed for theFlorida Gators track and field program.[2] He graduated fromGeorgetown University Law Center in 2014. Prior to joining the Trump administration he was anassociate atJones Day.[3]
Uthmeier worked from 2017 to 2019 in theU.S. Department of Commerce as a senior counsel and senior advisor in the Trump administration.[4][user-generated source?] He then joined the office ofFlorida governor Ron DeSantis as deputy general counsel in 2019, then was promoted in 2020 to general counsel.[4][user-generated source?] In October 2021, he was appointed chief of staff to the Governor, succeeding Adrian Lukis.[5] He remained as chief of staff until his appointment as attorney general and was succeeded by SecretaryJason Weida.[6]
From 2023 to 2024, Uthmeier served ascampaign manager of Ron DeSantis's unsuccessful2024 presidential campaign.[7]
On January 16, 2025, Governor DeSantis announced his intention to appoint Attorney GeneralAshley Moody to theUnited States Senate to succeedMarco Rubio.[8] DeSantis also announced he would appoint Uthmeier to succeed Moody as attorney general, in the event of a vacancy.[9]
On February 17, 2025, Uthmeier was sworn in as the 39th Florida attorney general.[3][10] He is the youngest attorney general sinceRobert L. Shevin and the first from theFlorida panhandle sinceJames W. Kynes.[citation needed]
On February 25, 2025, he filed paperwork to seek a full term in2026.[11] The following day, Uthmeier released a new seal for the Office of the Florida attorney general, referencing the "Free State of Florida."[12]
In March 2025, Uthmeier opened a criminal investigation into social media personalitiesAndrew and Tristan Tate, saying: "We're going to pursue every tool we have within our legal authority to hold them accountable".[13][14] Despite the brothers' relocation toLas Vegas, Uthmeier confirmed his investigation would continue.[15] Andrew Tate criticized the investigation as "absolute communism."[15] On March 13, Andrew Tate returned toMiami and "taunted" Uthmeier to "arrest [him]."[16]
In April 2025, Florida attorney general James Uthmeier sent a subpoena to Roblox about uses of the platform by users age 16 and under as well as the platform's protections for children against "mature content". Uthmeier also sought communications to theNational Center for Missing & Exploited Children and reports of abuse to and from Florida users among other things via the subpoena.[17] On October 20th, 2025, Uthmeier sent the Roblox Corporation criminal subpoenas.[18]
In June 2025, Uthmeier was held incontempt of court by U.S. District JudgeKathleen M. Williams for continuing to enforce a Florida immigration law that the judge had blocked in a previous ruling, which Uthmeier had directed state law enforcement to ignore and then boasted about in media interviews.[19] Regarding this, Uthmeier stated "If being held in contempt is what it costs to... stand firmly behind President Trump's agenda on illegal immigration, so be it."[20]
In late June 2025, Uthmeier announced his proposal to constructAlligator Alcatraz, an immigration detention facility to be located within theEverglades. The facility is located at the formerDade-Collier Training and Transition Airport insideBig Cypress National Preserve inOchopee, Florida.[21] Governor DeSantis mobilized construction on June 21, and the facility was officially opened on July 1. President Donald Trump, Governor Ron DeSantis, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristy Noem, and other state leaders attended the opening ceremony. Trump praised the new compound, saying, "It might be as good as the real Alcatraz."[22]
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| Hope Florida scandal |
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People |
During the 2025 legislative session, Uthmeier was involved in a controversy surrounding the transfer of $10,000,000 from a Medicaid settlement to a political committee he controlled.[23] The funds were initially directed to go to theHope Florida Foundation, but were immediately transferred by the Foundation to two separate groups, both of whom sent the funds to Uthmeier's political committee.[24]
Uthmeier was accused by legislators of committing "money laundering and wire fraud"[25] for his role in directing the Medicaid settlement asGovernor DeSantis's then chief of staff, then soliciting the applicants who requested the funds of the Hope Florida Foundation, both of whom immediately transferred the funds to a bank account within his control.[26]
On May 20, 2025, it was announced that a criminal investigation into the movement of the funds was open and ongoing.[27]
State RepresentativeAlex Andrade, who led the Florida House's investigation into the scandal, was quoted as saying: “In the real world, if someone defrauded the state or a charity out of $10 million, they’d go to prison. Certain bad actors within the DeSantis administration lied about the use of these funds and conspired to funnel this money to a PC [political committee]. Those people deserve to go to prison.”[28]
aftermath was invoked but never defined (see thehelp page).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)| Legal offices | ||
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| Preceded by John Guard Acting | Attorney General of Florida 2025–present | Incumbent |
