DeSantis Demands Miami-Dade School Board Candidate Stop Using His Likeness in Political Ads

July 26, 2022 Updated 3:07 P.M. ET

MIAMI (FLV) – After a candidate in a Miami-Dade County School Board race used Gov. Ron DeSantis to promote herself, a lawyer representing the governor demanded they stop using his likeness.

The News Service of Florida reported that candidate Marta Perez, running for District 8, ran an ad pitching herself as a “solid conservative voice” and used a photo of the Florida governor next to an image of herself. It used another image with DeSantis giving a thumbs-up.

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Shutts & Bowen LLP represents DeSantis and his political committee, they report. The firm sent a cease-and-desist letter to Christian Camara, the chairman of Parents United for School Excellence, the committee that paid for the mailed advertisement using DeSantis’ image.

In that race, DeSantis endorsed “pro-parent” Monica Colluci, also running in District 8.

“The Political Committee’s unauthorized use of a picture of Governor DeSantis and Ms. Perez in the attached mailer creates a false and misleading impression that Governor DeSantis has endorsed and is supportive of Ms. Perez’s candidacy for Miami-Dade County School Board — both are false,” Ben Gibson, partner at law of the firm, said in the letter.

In the letter, Gibson said the committee must remove DeSantis from mailed advertisements and must stop using his image and likeness to promote Perez, saying that Colluci was “among the first” candidates that were endorsed.

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