Florida AG Threatens Lawsuit Over NY Times Internal Records

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has threatened to sue The New York Times unless the company provides six years of internal corporate records, arguing that a pattern of corrections and editorial failures poses a financial risk to the state's pension fund. The demand, outlined in a 28-page letter sent on August 10, 2026, gives the newspaper two weeks to comply or face legal action in New York Supreme Court.

Uthmeier, acting in his capacity as trustee and legal counsel for Florida's State Board of Administration, cited the fund's investment of approximately 160,000 shares of New York Times stock, valued at more than $12 million. He argued that the newspaper's repeated admissions of errors, particularly in its coverage of the Israel-Hamas war, threaten the company's brand and reputation, which are its most important assets. The letter specifically referenced a study documenting 72 corrections the Times issued for its war coverage between October 2023 and June 2024, stating that many of those errors favored Hamas.

Uthmeier's demand seeks internal board documents, meeting minutes, and reports dating back to January 2020. He contends that while the First Amendment protects what...