Who Is James Uthmeier? Florida Attorney General

James Uthmeier is the Florida attorney general, serving in the role since being sworn in on February 17, 2025.

At Ban the Bots, we track the people and organizations fighting AI: the activists, union leaders, lawmakers, plaintiffs, researchers and founders pushing back on how AI is built and used. We track James Uthmeier because he launched a criminal investigation into OpenAI in April over a shooting incident.

He previously served as chief of staff to Governor Ron DeSantis from 2021 to 2025 and worked as an associate at Jones Day before joining the DeSantis administration.

Where James Uthmeier Is Now

James Uthmeier serves as the Florida attorney general. Governor Ron DeSantis appointed him to the office in February 2025, and he was sworn in on February 17, 2025, according to Wikipedia and the Miami Herald.

• Current role: Florida Attorney General
• Organization: State of Florida
• Known for: Serving as chief of staff to Governor Ron DeSantis and running DeSantis's 2024 presidential campaign
• Recent news: Launched a criminal investigation into OpenAI in April over a shooting incident

Education and Early Career

James Uthmeier attended Fort Walton Beach High School, as reported by Wikipedia. He later graduated from Georgetown Law, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

From 2017 to 2019, Uthmeier served as senior counsel and senior advisor in the U.S. Department of Commerce, per Wikipedia. He was also an associate at Jones Day before joining the DeSantis administration, according to Wikipedia.

Work in Florida Government and Campaigns

Uthmeier joined Ron DeSantis's office as deputy general counsel in 2019 and became general counsel in 2020, as documented by Wikipedia. He served as chief of staff to Governor Ron DeSantis from 2021 to 2025, per Wikipedia and the Miami Herald.

He managed Ron DeSantis's 2024 presidential campaign, according to Wikipedia. In addition, he served as the chair of Keep Florida Clean, a political committee opposing the legalization of recreational marijuana, as reported by the Miami Herald.

Actions as Florida Attorney General

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier launched a criminal investigation into OpenAI in April this year over a shooting incident, according to The Epoch Times.

In March 2025, Uthmeier stated his office would not defend a Florida law prohibiting individuals under the age of 21 from purchasing a long gun, as reported by the Orlando Sentinel. Also in March 2025, he opened a criminal investigation into social media personalities Andrew and Tristan Tate, per Wikipedia. On March 11, 2025, Carlos Duart donated $3,000 to Uthmeier's campaign, according to the Miami Herald.

Uthmeier released an updated seal for the Florida attorney general's office featuring the phrase 'Free State of Florida,' according to Wikipedia. In late June 2025, he proposed building the Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention facility in the Florida Everglades, and in November 2025, he opened an investigation into JPMorgan Chase, per Wikipedia.

In July 2026, Uthmeier intervened to bar a transgender girl from a national Irish step dancing competition, according to Wikipedia. He is pursuing litigation against Planned Parenthood claiming they misinform women regarding the safety of the abortion pill, as noted by the Miami Herald. Additionally, Uthmeier announced that the state is suing First Street over its climate risk scores and filed a lawsuit to halt assessments offered without clear disclosure of their subjective nature, per Townhall.

Sources

• en.wikipedia.org
• townhall.com
• miamiherald.com
• miamiherald.com
• miamiherald.com
• orlandosentinel.com
• theepochtimes.com

More people pushing back on AI are mapped in our guide to who is fighting AI, and the unions, companies and governments drawing the line are tracked on Fighting Back.