The legal fight between Matt Devitt and WINK News is heading to trial in September 2027. A Lee County judge has set a four-week jury trial starting September 7, 2027, after over two years of filings, motions, and public back-and-forth about everything from contract disputes to casino records.
At the heart of the lawsuit is WINK News, owned by Fort Myers Broadcasting Company (FMBC), which claims Devitt, its former chief meteorologist, violated his contract by secretly building a competing business and mishandling his responsibilities. The station fired Devitt in January, but he insists they are smearing his reputation over unrelated personal matters, including accusations about gambling. Both sides have dug in, with Devitt countersuing to claim ownership over his large social media following and asking the court to strike the gambling allegations from the public record.
WINK News wants records from Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee and Spinners Arcade, reaching back as far as 2018. They’re asking for surveillance footage, attendance logs, and even tax documentation. Devitt’s legal team argues the subpoenas are irrelevant and harassing, asserting that they constitute an attempt to embarrass him publicly without connecting his time at these places to his actual work at the station. One filing points out Devitt can’t even remember visiting Spinners Arcade, and that FMBC has shown no connection between his alleged casino visits and work absences or business losses.
The station isn’t stopping at casino records. Their legal filings include a Form W-2G showing Devitt’s $1,725 gambling winnings at Seminole Casino, sworn statements from former co-workers about lottery scratch-offs in the weather center, and claims that gambling hurt his marriage. Devitt’s lawyers call all this “scandalous” and “inflammatory,” and say the station should stick to issues that actually relate to his job, not dig into his personal life for character attacks.
Beyond disputes about gambling, a lot rides on who gets to control Devitt’s personal brand and social media presence. Devitt’s following is huge: 1.3 million people across platforms. The station promoted his online presence for years and even celebrated his milestones publicly, but now says those accounts belong to them. Devitt’s countersuit asks for a clear decision that he owns his social media, arguing there’s nothing in his contract assigning those rights away. He also says WINK’s attempts to block his hurricane preparedness presentations are overly restrictive and harm community outreach.
The lawsuit has drawn interest outside the courtroom, drawing political voices into the fray. Jim Schwartzel, a Southwest Florida media executive and Republican congressional candidate, popped up as a side note: he says the station gave him a heads-up about Devitt’s firing but insists he doesn’t own or control WINK News, despite political opponents claiming otherwise. Even Newt Gingrich weighed in, demanding WINK explain Devitt’s firing to the community.
As the legal process drags on, the case grows more tangled. Devitt’s team argues WINK enforced its rules unevenly, targeting him while allowing other meteorologists, like Lauren Kreidler, to monetize and promote their brands. They want discovery related to these comparisons, looking for signs of selective enforcement or bias.
What’s next? Before trial, both parties must complete mediation by March 29, 2027. On September 9, the judge will hear arguments regarding the scope of subpoenas, dismiss parts of the suit, and strike the gambling claims from the record. If it goes to trial, a jury will have to sort through competing claims and decide not just on contract breaches, but, maybe even more importantly, who gets to call Devitt’s social media following their own.
With a trial still over three years away, expect more filings, more public statements, and, probably, even more twists in a fight that kept the region’s weather and media worlds buzzing long after Devitt left the green screen.
