FLORIDA — Gov. Ron DeSantis is leaving for Israel on Saturday to meet with business leaders and talk trade. 

  • Cabinet to hold meeting at U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem
  • Trade mission runs from May 25-31
  • Spectrum News Florida Capitol reporter Troy Kinsey is traveling to Israel and will have exclusive digital coverage. Stay with us as we cover the governor's trip.

Attorney General Ashley Moody, Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, and Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried will be joining him on the trade mission. 

The Cabinet plans to hold a meeting at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem during the trip, which runs from May 25 to May 31. 

According to the Associated Press, this trip has raised concerns about whether officials are violating the state's open-meeting laws. 

By law, the state has to post an agenda seven days before the independently elected Cabinet members meet, except during an emergency. As of Tuesday, the Cabinet website not only didn’t list an agenda for the meeting — it didn’t even have the meeting on the calendar.

DeSantis’s office isn’t talking about his Israel plans, citing security issues, AP noted. 

“They should have an agenda up and they should be telling people where and when it’s going to be,” Barbara Petersen, president of the open-government watchdog group First Amendment Foundation, told the AP. “It’s nuts.”

Despite the lack of information on the agenda, the trip could help Republicans politically in a state that is closely divided in presidential politics and where the large Jewish population could be a deciding factor as President Donald Trump tries to win Florida’s 29 electoral college votes.

Former Florida Govs. Jeb Bush, Charlie Crist, and Rick Scott have also embarked on trade missions during their terms. 

Our Florida Capitol reporter Troy Kinsey will be in attendance during the trip, giving us daily updates on the governor's agenda. Stay with Spectrum New on-air and online for updates throughout the trip.