Disclosure of Nonpublic Information

Ethics Complaint Filed Against Florida’s Chief Academic Officer for Substack Newsletter that Discloses Nonpublic Information to Paid Subscribers

Jason Jewell, Chief Academic Officer at the Florida Board of Governors, uses his official title and apparently profits personally from his Substack

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA, March 31 — A sworn complaint with the Florida Commission on Ethics was submitted on Tuesday against the Chief Academic Officer at the Florida Board of Governors (which oversees the State University System) over use of his title and extensive nonpublic information on his paid Substack.

Jason Jewell, who has been Chief Academic Officer at the Florida Board of Governors since January 2025, has used nonpublic information in posts accessible only to his paid subscribers, information that is not available to members of the general public and that he gained by reason of his official position.

Mike Sanderson, who swore and filed the complaint with the Florida Commission on Ethics, wrote “The assistant city manager of any podunk beach town knows: if your job gives you, ‘a front row seat to all kinds of things’—in Florida it probably does—you can’t take info you get as a public employee, put it behind a paywall and make money.”

The sworn complaint states, “Nonpublic information posted by Respondent also includes details of his official activities, official travel, site visits to universities, meetings attended, conferences attended, accounts of Board of Governors meetings, sources of policy ideas, comments on articles … specific policy ideas that could be implemented or presented to the legislature, and so on. Nonpublic activities of the Chancellor and other Board Office employees are also mentioned.”

The primary violation Jewell has committed is specified in Section 112.313(8), Florida Statutes, forbidding disclosure of nonpublic information learned from a public job for personal gain. This violation does not require corrupt intent.

The Florida Commission on Ethics Guide to the Code of Ethics for Public Employees lists the violations under “III. THE ETHICS LAWS. A. A. Prohibited Actions or Conduct. 6. Disclosure or Use of Certain Information.” Jewell’s use of his title may also violate “5. Abuse of Public Position.” (Numbers 5. and 6. refer to headings under III. A. in the Commission on Ethics Guide.)

Getting an online notary in in Florida was a coincidence, never mind in Lee County. I swear.

SANDERSON MENTIONED AT MARCH 26 BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEETING

Sanderson’s familiarity with the Board of Governors and vice-versa was further reinforced at the meeting on March 26, 2026. Board of Governors Chair Alan Levine expressed astonishment after being told Sanderson was not making a public comment.

“What?” Board of Governors Chair Levine said. “Let the record reflect that our friend Mike Sanderson is not speaking publicly.”

Levine's comment prompted laughter in the room.

“I assume I'll get an email or something from him,” Levine added. “He’s very good at providing input.”

Swearing the oath for the complaint to Florida Commission on Ethics

SANDERSON: JEWELL “OVERPROMOTED” “TOO NAÏVE TO HAVE CORRUPT INTENT”

At the end of 2024, Jason Jewell had been a professor of humanities at a small private college in Alabama for 20 years. His biggest responsibilities had been as chair of the humanities department and administering an online great-books program.

In January 2025, Jewell was suddenly elevated to the highest level of the State University System of Florida. His position has no public job description, and Jewell has no biography on flbog.edu.

Sanderson added, “He’s one of the most senior policymakers in the State University System, and since it’s a new position with no public information about it, I had to pay him personally to learn what Florida’s Chief Academic Officer actually does.”

“He was overpromoted,” said Sanderson. “I think he genuinely doesn’t realize that legitimately holding a job like that would make someone’s travel, meetings, opinions and perspectives extremely valuable information. He’s too naive to have corrupt intent.”

In the complaint Sanderson wrote, “corrupt intent is overwhelmed by the impression of a naif, a naif who received inadequate ethics training.”

“Chancellor Ray Rodrigues has some explaining to do why he picked a professor of humanities who’s never run anything bigger than an online great-books program for the job of Chief Academic Officer of Florida’s state universities,’” Sanderson added.

In other places on Jewell’s Substack, it is abundantly, painfully clear he lacks experience in Florida. In the same post Jewell wrote he has “a front row seat,” he also wrote: “I can only assume that things will get somewhat normal at some point.”

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Mike Sanderson is a graduate of Miami Palmetto Senior High and New College of Florida. Sanderson is a writer and computer programmer and lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Mike Sand