‘Contract that never was’ adds twist to scientist’s fight over Everglades project

A legal saga stemming from a water quality project saw Tom Van Lent briefly jailed in a case brought by allies of DeSantis

An environmental scientist briefly jailed in what he called a “political prosecution” brought by allies of Florida’s rightwing Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, now alleges new evidence shows his jail sentence stemmed from fraudulent allegations.

Tom Van Lent’s claim represents the latest twist in a three-year legal saga ignited by a disagreement over a proposed restoration project that aimed to address Florida’s recurrent red tides and toxic algal blooms by helping restore the environment of the vast Everglades wetlands.