Florida's 'whistleblower' says he was fired for leaking plans to build golf courses in state parks

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A former state employee who leaked information about plans to build golf courses and hotels in Florida's state parks has apparently been fired.

But James Gaddis, who calls himself an “ethical whistleblower,” said he has no regrets about bringing the proposals to public attention, according to the Palm Beach Post.

“I happened to be in the middle of all this, the clock was ticking and I thought someone had to take the initiative and put an end to this madness,” Gaddis told the newspaper.

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Gaddis, who worked as a cartographer for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, said he was hired to create concept maps for plans to build golf courses, pickleball courts, 350-room hotels and more in nine state parks from Miami to the Panhandle.

Gaddis said he was thrilled to see plans to build sprawling developments in some of Florida's most pristine habitats, some of which are rare in the world.

“I drew the polygons of the golf course and marked the spot where the hotel would be in Anastasia State Park (near St. Augustine). I was already disgusted, but it just kept getting worse,” Gaddis said. “I said, 'What I'm planning here is too bad and too outrageous, and I can't take it anymore.'”

Gaddis said he wrote a summary of the proposals on his work computer and shared them, sparking protests and massive public backlash against the plans, which the department has since withdrawn. Last week, Gov. Ron DeSantis called the initiative “half-baked” and “not ready for prime time.”

After sharing the information, Gaddis was placed on administrative leave on August 30. The next day, he received a termination letter in the mail accusing him of violating department policy.

A DEP spokesman did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

Gaddis, a single father of an 11-year-old child, is being hailed as a hero on social media by opponents of the planned construction project. As of Tuesday afternoon, a GoFundMe page set up by Gaddis had raised more than $100,000.

According to a government salary database, his annual salary is $49,346.04

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