Tag: Gov. DeSantis

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Signs Controversial ‘Public Disorder’ Bill Into Law

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Critics say the purported “anti-riot” bill is a direct attack on the First Amendment.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a controversial bill into law on Monday that critics say constitutes a direct attack on the First Amendment in the guise of combating “public disorder.”

Just before he signed the bill, DeSantis sought to justify his decision by painting an apocalyptic picture of burning cities and people in peril with law enforcement being told to stand down. 

“We’re not going to let the mob win the day,” DeSantis said as he praised the bill’s specific protections for “all” of the state’s monuments — likely a reference to those honoring the Confederacy. Seeking to draw a contrast with Portland, Oregon, a Democratic-run city on the other side of the country, he added that “the state of Florida takes public safety very seriously.” Continue reading.

GOP megadonors looking beyond Trump for 2024 — and they have a favorite

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A new favorite has emerged among possible Republican presidential successors to Donald Trump.

Wealthy GOP donors are lining up behind the 2022 re-election campaign for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is moving past former vice president Mike Pence and other potential contenders should Trump choose to sit out the 2024 presidential race, reported Politico.

“He’s in the top tier, should he choose to run for president,” said Art Pope, a conservative donor and chair of the influential Bradley Foundation. Continue reading.

DeSantis takes legal action against the CDC — but some legal experts believe it’s a ‘political stunt’

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is pushing back against the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) extension of the pandemic-related “no-sail” order for cruise lines.

According to the Miami Herald, DeSantis has filed a lawsuit against the public health agency in an attempt to expedite cruise ships returning to sea. In a press conference held on Thursday, April 8, DeSantis was joined by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R), U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R), and Miami-Dade County Commission Chairman Jose “Pepe” Diaz (R) as he explained his reason for taking legal action.

“Today Florida is fighting back,” said DeSantis. “We don’t believe the federal government has the right to mothball a major industry for over a year based on very little evidence and very little data. I think we have a great chance for success.” Continue reading.

Video emerges of Trump and Ron DeSantis meeting man being investigated for human trafficking with Matt Gaetz

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On Wednesday, CBS News revealed that Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) went to the Bahamas in late 2018 or early 2019 with a marijuana entrepreneur and hand surgeon that ultimately triggered a sex trafficking investigation.

The man, named Jason Pirozzolo, “allegedly paid for the travel expenses, accommodations, and female escorts,” the report revealed. 

Whether the escorts were hired for sex across state or international lines is part of the investigation by the Justice Department, and it includes both Gaetz and Pirozzolo as part of that probe. Continue reading.

‘He’s lying you can tell’: Internet responds to ’60 Minutes’ expose on Ron DeSantis

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A “60 Minutes” expose on Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) led many to call for an investigation into the scandal-prone Florida leader.

Among the things discussed by the report was the shocking revelation that the rich and famous were coming into the state from all over the country to get a vaccine before first responders and other essential workers. Another piece of the report walked through the public funding that was given to a grocery store chain that gave massive campaign donations to DeSantis. 

It led many to demand investigations into DeSantis and the corruption from around the vaccines. Others commented that the DeSantis’ snapping at the “60 Minutes” reporter was the perfect admission of guilt. Continue reading.

COVID whistleblower blames Ron DeSantis after cops raid her home: ‘They pointed guns at my kids’

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Former Florida Department of Health (DOH) data scientist Rebekah Jones, who was fired by Governor Ron DeSantis’s administration after refusing to manipulate coronavirus information, says “state police came into my house and took all my hardware and tech. They were serving a warrant on my computer after DOH filed a complaint. They pointed a gun in my face. They pointed guns at my kids.”

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued a statement confirming the seizure of computer equipment, a report in the Tallahassee Democrat newspaper says.

“FDLE began an investigation November 10, 2020 after receiving a complaint from the Department of Health regarding unauthorized access to a Department of Health messaging system which is part of an emergency alert system, to be used for emergencies only,” FDLE spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger said. Continue reading.

Trump furious that he can’t do rallies in COVID-ridden Florida after its GOP governor ‘made it a lot worse’: report

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President Donald Trump is reportedly furious at one of his allies for taking his advice.

According to Vanity Fair’s Gabriel Sherman, the president is angry that he can’t hold any of his trademark campaign rallies in Florida amid its weeks-long surge in COVID-19 cases.

What’s more, Sherman’s sources say Trump is putting the blame for this predicament at the feet of Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has been eager to follow the president’s commands to reopen state economies even as the country records more than 50,000 infections and 1,000 new deaths from the novel coronavirus every day. Continue reading.

‘Hell, Hug ‘Em!’ Gov. DeSantis Dismisses Social Distancing For Elderly

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday urged people to hug the elderly despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

DeSantis said that as long as people are wearing personal protective equipment, he sees no reason not to hug people when visiting.

“Look, I’m comfortable with the PPE,” the Republican governor said. “Hell, hug ’em! I mean, come on.” He added that maintaining social distancing of six feet during visits — as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — seems unnecessary because it’s “a reminder that it’s still not normal.” Continue reading.

Coronavirus ravaged Florida, as Ron DeSantis sidelined scientists and followed Trump

Washington Post logoST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — As Florida became a global epicenter of the coronavirus, Gov. Ron DeSantis held one meeting this month with his top public health official, Scott Rivkees, according to the governor’s schedule. His health department has sidelined scientists, halting briefings last month with disease specialists and telling the experts there was not sufficient personnel from the state to continue participating.

“I never received information about what happened with my ideas or results,” said Thomas Hladish, a University of Florida research scientist whose regular calls with the health department ended June 29. “But I did hear the governor say the models were wrong about everything.”

DeSantis (R) this month traveled to Miami to hold a roundtable with South Florida mayors, whose region was struggling as a novel coronavirus hot spot. But the Republican mayor of Hialeah was shut out, weeks after saying the governor “hasn’t done much” for a city disproportionately affected by the virus. Continue reading.

Former COVID-19 data chief: Outbreak ‘much worse’ in Florida than DeSantis administration lets on

AlterNet logoRebekah Jones, the Florida data scientist who in May claimed that she was fired for refusing to manipulate state coronavirus data to meet the Republican governor’s reopening criteria, has issued a new warning: The ongoing outbreak is “much, much worse” than it has been painted by the administration.

In a Monday interview with MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell, Jones, who built the state government’s coronavirus data portal, identified a number of failures since she left her state job. Florida recently posted the highest daily caseload in a single day across all 50 U.S. states.

For instance, the southern state combined antibody test data with viral test data. Salon reported in May that the practice, which can obscure hotspots and misrepresent percentages, warps data not only at the state level. It may also trickle up to the national level at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Continue reading.