Florida Attorney General Demands New York Times Records, Threatens Lawsuit Over Pension Fund

On August 10, 2026, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, acting on behalf of the state pension fund, sent a 28-page letter to The New York Times demanding access to internal records, board documents, and meeting minutes dating back to January 2020. Uthmeier serves as trustee and legal counsel to the state's executive committee, and the fund holds 160,000 shares of Times stock. The letter requests a response within two weeks, or the state will file suit in the New York Supreme Court.

The letter requires The New York Times to demonstrate that its operations are sound, noting that the company's brand and reputation are significant assets. Background materials indicate that in 2017, amid declining revenue, the paper consolidated its editorial team and eliminated the independent public editor position, which had handled reader complaints and questioned journalists' decision-making processes. Uthmeier emphasized in the letter that shareholders have the right to ensure the board prevents the paper from becoming a media outlet that the public deems untrustworthy.

Times spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha confirmed receipt of the letter and said the company plans to respond at an appropriate time. She noted that although the letter is framed as a corporate law request, it is clearly an attempt to suppress news work protected by the First Amendment. Records also show that between October 7, 2023, and June 2024, the paper acknowledged 72 errors in its reporting on the Israel-Hamas war that required corrections.

Previously, in June 2026, former U. S. President Donald Trump threatened to sue The New York Times, accusing it of publishing "treasonous" content in its coverage of the Iran war and attempting to downplay the conflict's impact. The Times defended its reporting as "fair, comprehensive, and accurate." The paper's board members include Chairman and Publisher A. G. Sulzberger, GoDaddy CEO Amanpal Bhutani, former Roblox Chief Product Officer Manuel Bronstein, former EY Global Vice Chair of Public Policy Beth Brooke, former Etsy CFO Rachel Glaser, author Arthur Golden, and CEO Meredith Kopit Levien.

Other members include former Pandora Media President Brian McAndrews, Vice President David Perpich, Ariel Investments founder John Rogers, Beast Industries CFO Anuradha Subramanian, freelance designer Margot Golden, and Airbnb Chief Marketing Officer Rebecca Van Dyke.