A Florida open-government group on Monday claimed in a lawsuit that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration is improperly withholding public records related to the two charter flights that transported nearly fifty Venezuelan migrants to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, Axios reported.

In what is the third lawsuit brought against DeSantis’ office in connection with the charter flights, the Florida Center for Government Accountability (FLCGA) is arguing that the governor’s office did not fully comply with official requests to release necessary details, including flight records and waivers signed by the undocumented migrants on the flights.

Axios reported that DeSantis’ administration released some of the flight details on Friday, but the group said it was not “responsive” to some of the requests.

“Defendants' refusal to provide the records is unreasonable, unjustified and amounts to an unlawful delay and refusal to provide the records,” the lawsuit states.

In response, DeSantis’ office said in an email that it “has been working to retrieve, review and produce documents responsive to the many public records requests we have received regarding the flights to Martha’s Vineyard.”

“In an effort to produce documents more efficiently, this office is retrieving, reviewing and producing any documents related to the aforementioned flights,” it continued.

Last month, State Sen. Jason Pizzo, a Miami Democrat, filed a lawsuit asking a court to block DeSantis from transporting more migrants from the southern border. He contended that the governor illegally misspent taxpayer dollars by flying out the migrants on two flights.

This past year, state lawmakers approved $12 million for a program to transport migrants, but the budget specified that the funds were to relocate “unauthorized aliens from this state.”

Additionally, the migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard filed a class-action lawsuit against DeSantis and other state officials, claiming that they were victims of fraud for political purposes.

“These immigrants, who are pursuing the proper channels for lawful immigration status in the United States, experienced cruelty akin to what they fled in their home country,” the suit said. “Defendants manipulated them, stripped them of their dignity, deprived them of their liberty, bodily autonomy, due process and equal protection under law, and impermissibly interfered with the Federal Government’s exclusive control over immigration in furtherance of an unlawful goal and a personal political agenda.”

On top of seeking damages, the lawsuit asked the court to block DeSantis and others from “inducing immigrants to travel across state lines by fraud and misrepresentation.”

Ethen Kim Lieser is a Washington state-based Finance and Tech Editor who has held posts at Google, The Korea Herald, Lincoln Journal Star, AsianWeek, and Arirang TV. Follow or contact him on LinkedIn.

Image: Reuters.