DeSantis looks to Florida faith community to mobilize against abortion rights measure

In a continuing effort to tank Florida's abortion rights ballot measure, Gov. Ron DeSantis is turning to religious groups to help rouse opposition.

"You've got to spread the word to vote no on (Amendment 4)," DeSantis said Sunday at City Church Tallahassee, which maintains a "conservative theological position," according to its website .

"I could have just said, 'You know what, it's on the ballot, people can decide, let the chips fall where they may.' But that's not the right thing to do."

Moreover, the Governor's Faith and Community Initiative reached out to religious groups last week to advertise a call with state Attorney General Ashley Moody titled, "Your Legal Rights & Amendment 4's Ramifications," according to an email obtained by the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida.

Joining Moody on the Thursday morning call will be Mat Staver, the founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, a Christian ministry that has also fought against gay marriage: "Gov. Ron DeSantis has the right to address Amendment 4 or any other amendment," Staver said in response to a reporter. "There is no prohibition in doing so. We appreciate the leadership of Gov. DeSantis."

The DeSantis administration has raised hackles in its opposition to Amendment 4 , which would ensure abortion access in Florida if approved by at least 60% of votes. That's especially over the last week , with the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration  launching a webpage  attacking the abortion amendment.

In what's being called "propaganda" by the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, AHCA posted a video advertisement on social media Monday morning about "Florida's pregnancy care laws and efforts to provide transparent health care here." The state now has a six-week abortion ban , though there are medical, rape and incest exceptions for patients up to 15 weeks pregnant.

Democrats, others criticize use of government to oppose Amendment 4

State elections officials also sent police to the homes of some citizens who signed the petition to put the measure on the ballot to make sure their signatures were legitimate. The Florida Department of State defends that move, saying it "uncovered evidence of illegal conduct with fraudulent petitions."

But abortion rights advocates and Democrats are accusing DeSantis' administration of misusing government resources to try to sink the amendment. The ACLU of Florida agreed in part with Staver's email from the Liberty Counsel.

"The Governor certainly has the right to advocate for causes he believes in, including speaking to religious groups," said Keisha Mulfort, its spokesperson, in a statement pointing to the week's controversies. "However, it is deeply troubling to see him wield the full power of the state government to intimidate and mislead Floridians on Amendment 4, while also suppressing their voices.

Speaking after DeSantis at City Church on Sunday, Dylan Fisher , the director of the Governor's Faith and Community-Based Initiative, said his team is "working with faith leaders and faith partners and pastors to be able to speak into the (abortion) issue."

"If we aren't registered to vote, it's great that we can talk about the issues, but our impact is not felt at the ballot box. ... Make sure you're registered to vote so you can be in the game," Fisher said. "If everybody in City Church and in this collective community just talks to a couple (of) people, make sure we know and are engaged on the issue, that is such a difference," he said. "So that's what we're doing."

DeSantis also spoke against Amendment 3 on Sunday, which would allow Florida recreational marijuana.

"PSAs and community events have long been used to ensure residents have truth and transparency about the state's existing laws and available resources," said Bryan Griffin, the governor's communications director. "We will absolutely continue to protect Floridians and ensure they are well informed about their state."

DeSantis comments on controversies

In public comments Monday, DeSantis defended the actions of the Florida Department of State and AHCA.

On the elections front, he said a group had been found to have submitted invalid signatures and the state was further investigating: "Our tolerance in the state of Florida for any type of election fraud is zero," he said at an appearance in Miami Lakes.

DeSantis also said that the AHCA ad didn't weigh in on the measure and is being used to "basically provide people with accurate information, and I think that's something that's really important, because quite frankly, a lot of people don't usually get that in the normal blood stream."

While the ad might not mention Amendment 4, the AHCA webpage does , claiming it "threatens women's safety."

Florida Democrats didn't buy DeSantis' arguments and continued to lash out Monday. "This is what we see in countries like Cuba and Venezuela, not America," said Nikki Fried, chair of the Florida Democratic Party, in a phone call with reporters.

CLARIFICATION: Information added to specify that while Florida has a six-week abortion ban, there are medical, rape and incest exceptions for patients up to 15 weeks pregnant.

This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. USA Today Network-Florida First Amendment reporter Douglas Soule can be reached at  DSoule@gannett.com .

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: DeSantis asks Florida faith community to oppose abortion amendment