An Orange County circuit judge has resigned from the bench after facing suspension and a public reprimand over hundreds of political donations she wasn’t allowed to make.
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Circuit Judge Diana Tennis’ last day on the bench will be Friday, according to the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court. She admitted in May 2025 to making hundreds of political donations to Democratic political candidates and organizations since 2016, according to court records, even though Florida’s judicial code prohibits sitting judges from making any such contributions.
Tennis was investigated by the Judicial Qualifications Commission — the state’s judicial watchdog agency — which described her as “far and away the most prolific offender both in terms of total dollars and number of contributions” it had reviewed.
Tennis made over 900 political contributions totaling over $29,000 while serving as a sitting judge.
During a hearing, she told the commission she believed the prohibition against donations applied only to state candidates and races, not to federal ones, court records show.
The commission recommended she be publicly reprimanded by the Florida Supreme Court. But the high court was not satisfied with that punishment, saying June 25 it would impose a fine in addition to a public reprimand.
One week later, the court said a suspension should also be included, but did not specify how long Tennis should be suspended or how much she should be fined.
The parties had until Aug. 1 to accept the new terms or tell the court they couldn’t agree, which would see the case return to the commission for a full evidentiary hearing.
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The only activity in the case after the high court’s ruling shows the commission filed a notice with the court on July 31, but it is not accessible in court records, leaving it unclear whether an agreement was reached. It does not appear that the high court disciplined Tennis in any way as of the time of her resignation.
Tennis’ attorney in the investigation, Warren Lindsey, declined to clarify Thursday if disciplinary actions were still being planned or if his client’s resignation was due to the case.
“Judge Tennis is an outstanding judge who has diligently served the central Florida community with distinction for many years. Her retirement will be loss for the community,” Lindsey said in a statement.
The rule prohibiting judges from making political donations exists because Florida elects its judges on nonpartisan ballots. A judge who writes checks to political campaigns has, at minimum, the appearance of a partisan stake in who holds power, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.
Tennis has remained on the bench in the Ninth Judicial Circuit, which covers Orange and Osceola counties, since the investigation began. She is currently assigned as an administrative judge to family court.
She has not been previously disciplined as a lawyer since being admitted to the Florida Bar in 1992. Her current term on the bench had been set to end in January 2027.
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