Politics
Johnson recorded thirteen minutes of the Dixie County Commission meeting before a Sheriff's deputy told him courthouse rules required permission to record. Florida Sunshine Law says otherwise. Two commissioners refused to disclose conflicts of interest on data center development. Johnson is going back September 3.
NewsOnScale Staff
August 20, 2026
JJ Johnson walked into the Dixie County Courthouse in Cross City, Florida tonight as a resident, a taxpayer, and a declared candidate for President of the United States. He came to speak on the record about data center development in Dixie County. He came with a prepared statement. He came with his phone to record.
He recorded for thirteen minutes.
Then a Dixie County Sheriff's deputy approached him and told him he was not allowed to record. The deputy said that because the meeting was held in a courthouse he needed permission to record.
Johnson's response was direct.
"Ma'am, are you telling me I can't record my public servants and this meeting?"
The deputy said he needed permission.
"Ma'am, I pay your salary. This is my building and the residents."
The deputy objected. Johnson made a decision. Rather than escalate he left.
He was right. She was wrong. And the thirteen minutes of video he captured before being told to stop is now public record.
What Florida Law Actually Says
Florida Statute 286.011 — the Government in the Sunshine Law — is unambiguous. All meetings of any board or commission of any county must be open to the public at all times. The right of the public to attend and observe their government in action is fundamental and guaranteed by Florida law.
The right to record flows directly from the right of public access. Florida courts have consistently held that citizens have the right to record public meetings of government bodies. No permission is required. No government official has the lawful authority to prohibit a citizen from recording a public meeting.
The deputy's claim — that the courthouse location required permission to record — conflates two distinct legal frameworks. Courtrooms conducting active judicial proceedings have specific recording rules. A county commission public meeting is a legislative function — not a judicial proceeding — regardless of the physical building in which it is held. The Sunshine Law governs. Not courthouse recording restrictions.
The deputy cited the wrong legal authority. The order she gave Johnson was not a lawful order. He was not required to comply.
What Happened Before the Deputy Approached
Before the deputy approached Johnson had already accomplished something significant.
He spoke on the record as a Dixie County resident, property owner, founder of AMILLI AI, CORP, and declared candidate for President of the United States.
He asked each commissioner on the record to disclose whether they or any family member had any financial interest in any data center development or any company connected to data center development in Dixie County.
All but two commissioners disclosed no ties to data center interests.
Two commissioners refused to answer.
That refusal is now on the record. Under Florida Statute 112.3143 public officers are required to disclose voting conflicts. If either of the two commissioners who refused to answer tonight votes on any data center related matter while holding an undisclosed financial interest that is a violation of Florida ethics law — and grounds for a complaint to the Florida Commission on Ethics.
The silence of two commissioners at a public meeting when asked directly about conflicts of interest is not nothing. It is the kind of non-answer that demands follow up.
The Broader Context
Tonight did not happen in isolation.
The man who was told he could not record a public meeting in Dixie County Florida is the same man who has had his presidential campaign website blacklisted on X — documented on video by a third party witness. Who has had an unidentified helicopter with no transponder circle his home while his children and elderly disabled mother were inside — documented on video by two separate witnesses. Who has filed a report with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children after TikTok's algorithm served him content appearing to depict drug paraphernalia and potentially underage individuals in sexual positions. Who has documented 18 months of systematic video upload suppression on X dating to February 2025 — screenshots with intact metadata preserved on his original device. Who has pending civil complaints against X Corp, SpaceX, Elon Musk, TikTok Inc., Oracle Corporation, Larry Ellison, Meta Platforms Inc., and Mark Zuckerberg being filed simultaneously in federal court and Florida state court.
A man with that documented history of institutional suppression walks into a public meeting to exercise his constitutional rights as a citizen and a candidate — and is told by law enforcement that he cannot record.
The pattern is consistent. The venues change. The attempt to silence does not.
What Happens Next
Johnson has thirteen minutes of video from tonight's meeting recorded before the deputy approached him. That video is being preserved as evidence.
Johnson plans to attend the next Dixie County Commission meeting on September 3, 2026 where the board is scheduled to address proposed special assessments — a $350 fire protection assessment and a $281 solid waste assessment that would impose over $5 million per year in new financial obligations on Dixie County residents.
Johnson intends to formally object to both assessments on the record and to preserve his legal right to challenge them in the Third Judicial Circuit Court.
He also intends to record that meeting.
Florida Sunshine Law gives him that right. No deputy's misunderstanding of courthouse recording rules changes that.
A Note on What This Means
A declared candidate for President of the United States attempted to exercise his Florida constitutional right to record a public government meeting. A law enforcement officer — acting on an incorrect understanding of the law — told him to stop.
Johnson chose to leave rather than escalate. That was a measured and reasonable decision. It was also unnecessary — he had every right to continue recording and every right to refuse the deputy's unlawful instruction.
The Dixie County Sheriff's Office should review its training on Florida Sunshine Law and the public's right to record public meetings. The law is clear. Citizens do not need permission to record their government.
Johnson will be back on September 3. He will have his phone. He will record.
That is not a threat. That is a right.
DISCLOSURE: JJ Johnson is the founder of AMILLI AI, CORP, which operates NewsOnScale, and is the subject of the events described in this article. He is a declared candidate for President of the United States in 2028. That relationship is disclosed in full. The events described herein are based on Johnson's firsthand account and video recording from tonight's meeting. NewsOnScale has submitted a request for comment to the Dixie County Sheriff's Office and will update this article upon response.