Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier called for records Monday from the New York Times as he seeks to scrutinize the company’s editorial practices, citing the state retirement fund's investment in the paper.

The attorney general contends that the paper has engaged in “editorial malpractice" that could expose the publication to costly litigation and ultimately hurt its shareholders, which includes retirees in his state.

Uthmeier alleges in a 28-page letter to the publication that there are “publicly documented failures” of the New York Times failing to apply its own editorial standards to its news stories and of it using the opinion section to “publish reported factual assertions outside the newsroom’s verification controls.”

The official highlighted two major stories that the outlet published recently, including an opinion piece that claimed the Israeli military used dogs to rape Palestinian prisoners, and another piece related to former Maine Democratic Senate hopeful Graham Platner. 

Uthmeier is specifically requesting records on how the New York Times' board of directors were briefed on the controversial stories and how it handled the subsequent fall out.

“The Times tells investors that its brand and reputation are its most important assets, and that if people see its journalism as unreliable or biased, the company can be hurt,” Uthmeier said on X. “We want to exercise our rights under New York law to review the company’s internal board documents, meeting minutes, reports, and other materials, to see what the directors know.”

The New York Times refuted Florida's allegations, claiming the letter is a "clear attempt to chill First Amendment-protected journalism," according to Politico.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.