Guest Commentary: Surveillance shows FWC has clear conflicts of interest
Airfind news item
By Isabella Herrera
Published on August 5, 2026.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has been accused of having its private records pulled by at least 15 environmental advocates under the guise of a criminal investigation. The FWC accessed these individuals' confidential information, including Social Security numbers, vehicle information, home addresses, phone numbers, medical records, and emergency contacts’ information. The agency does not have compelling reasons for this surveillance. The Driver and Vehicle Information Database (DAVID), used by the FWC to track its critics, has a history of misusing it by Florida law enforcement. Many of the environmental advocates whose records were pulled have never attended an FWC meeting or visited an FWS facility. The current FWC Commission is headed by seven commissioners with backgrounds in real estate, development, mining, and lobbying for developers.
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