DeSantis Rep

see GOV bak 420see felony disenfranchisepromoted primary 3/19 look at tags, mercer , koch, horowitz ; beat  AA Andrew gillum in blue wave for GOV==<a href="https://www.alternet.org/2022/03/desantis-teens-masks/">https://www.alternet.org/2022/03/desantis-teens-masks/</a>
<a href="https://www.alternet.org/2022/03/bully-ron-desantis-mistakes-bluster-for-bravery-and-is-really-a-coward-journalist/">https://www.alternet.org/2022/03/bully-ron-desantis-mistakes-bluster-for-bravery-and-is-really-a-coward-journalist/</a>=<div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div>=</div><div>
</div><div><a href="https://www.democracynow.org/2020/12/8/headlines/police_raid_home_of_data_scientist_who_blew_whistle_on_florida_covid_19_reporting">https://www.democracynow.org/2020/12/8/headlines/police_raid_home_of_data_scientist_who_blew_whistle_on_florida_covid_19_reporting</a></div><div>
</div><div>Florida, armed police raided the home of Rebekah Jones on Monday. She is the data scientist who was forced to resign in May as the lead software developer for Florida’s coronavirus data portal after she refused to censor information about Florida’s COVID-19 outbreak. Police seized her computers and pointed guns at her children. Jones posted video of the raid on Twitter.<blockquote style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding-left: 30px; border-left: 3px solid rgb(241, 242, 243); vertical-align: top;">Police officer 1: “Police! Come down now!”</blockquote><blockquote style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding-left: 30px; border-left: 3px solid rgb(241, 242, 243); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 30px !important;">Police officer 2: “Search warrant!”</blockquote><blockquote style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding-left: 30px; border-left: 3px solid rgb(241, 242, 243); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 30px !important;">Rebekah Jones: “Do not point that” —</blockquote><blockquote style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding-left: 30px; border-left: 3px solid rgb(241, 242, 243); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 30px !important;">Police officer 1: “Bring your children!”</blockquote><blockquote style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding-left: 30px; border-left: 3px solid rgb(241, 242, 243); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 30px !important;">Police officer 2: “Come down the stairs!”</blockquote><blockquote style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding-left: 30px; border-left: 3px solid rgb(241, 242, 243); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 30px !important;">Rebekah Jones: — “gun at my children! He just pointed a gun at my children!”</blockquote>Rebekah Jones accused Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis of sending the Gestapo after her. She wrote on Twitter, “This is what happens to scientists who do their job honestly. This is what happens to people who speak truth to power.” Florida authorities said the raid was part of a probe into a recent hack of the Florida Health Department’s website, but Jones said she hasn’t had access to the site in six months.</div><div>
</div><div>an 1220</div><div><div>an see dn cover story was hack investigation, but she has not had access 6 mos; she posted covid info gov wanted to suppress</div><div>
</div><div>"gestapo"</div><div>
</div><div>cOVID whistleblower blames Ron DeSantis after cops raid her home: 'They pointed guns at my kids'</div><div>David BadashThe New Civil Rights Movement</div></div></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">=</div>=gop convention jacksonville?<div>see desantis fail denial</div><div>
</div><div><div><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2020/07/pandemic-parties-rage-on-across-south-florida-despite-growing-coronavirus-crisis/">https://www.alternet.org/2020/07/pandemic-parties-rage-on-across-south-florida-despite-growing-coronavirus-crisis/</a></div><div></div></div><div>=</div><div><div>no lnx an 420</div><div>
</div><div>Trump continues to base policy on what he hears on Fox News</div><div>
</div><div>Written by Nancy LeTourneau / The Washington Monthly April 4, 2020</div><div>
</div><div>On Thursday night, Donald Trump finally invoked the Defense Production Act. He made the announcement on Twitter, of course.</div><div>
</div><div>We hit 3M hard today after seeing what they were doing with their Masks. “P Act” all the way. Big surprise to many in government as to what they were doing – will have a big price to pay!</div><div>
</div><div>— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 3, 2020</div><div>
</div><div>According to a report from Kevin Breuninger, the president issued an order on Thursday night directing Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf to “use any and all authority available under the Act to acquire, from any appropriate subsidiary or affiliate of 3M Company, the number of N-95 respirators that the Administrator determines to be appropriate.”</div><div>
</div><div>Here is the response from 3M’s CEO.</div><div>
</div><div>“The narrative that we aren’t doing everything we can as a company is just not true,” 3M CEO Mike Roman says, after President Trump criticized the manufacturing giant and invoked the DPA to force 3M to step up production of respirator masks. https://t.co/Lfa4xPqVwo pic.twitter.com/3cxA2FUDiu</div><div>
</div><div>— CNBC (@CNBC) April 3, 2020</div><div>
</div><div>In commenting on this, Kevin Drum identified the problem with Trump’s selective use of this authority.</div><div>
</div><div>The White House didn’t explain this, and it’s a little unnerving to see Trump using the DPA in such a gleefully punitive way. It’s supposed to be a technocratic tool for coordinating production, not a way for a president to score political points on Twitter.</div><div>
</div><div>All of this raises the question of what 3M did that earned the ire of the president. As it turns out, this segment of Tucker Carlson’s show aired on Fox News not long before Trump fired off his tweet.</div><div>
</div><div>Tucker Carlson & @JaredEMoskowitz Calling Out @3M Selling Masks to Foreign Governments Instead of to Americans</div><div>
</div><div>Jared: “I can’t & other emergency management directors can’t get this life-saving PPE because a company decided to make a Globalist decision and not put America First.” pic.twitter.com/wPoFQnm6ej</div><div>
</div><div>— The Columbia Bugle ???? (@ColumbiaBugle) April 3, 2020</div><div>
</div><div>Carlson’s guest, Jared Moskowitz, works for Republican Governor Ron DeSantis as his director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. He railed about not being able to get face masks from 3M.</div><div>
</div><div>It is difficult to sort out the truth from the lies in that segment. Some of the issues Moskowitz is pointing to surfaced after we learned that the federal government, probably under the direction of Jared Kushner, has turned the supply chain for these critical supplies over to the private sector. Josh Marshall documented the issues that raises.</div><div>
</div><div>First is that there’s no clear mechanism to allocate these supplies on the basis of need based on a coherent national plan or framework. Secondly, it opens the door to massive profiteering. Even if companies aren’t technically gouging, that’s what bidding is. And you really can’t call this a legitimate private sector market if every state is having to bid with private companies to secure medical supplies during a historic national health emergency. The private sector rationale is also undermined if the US military has taken over a significant part of the fulfillment process.</div><div>
</div><div>The man who turned around the Bush administration’s botched response to Katrina, Lt. General Russel Honore, explained why that is a recipe for disaster.</div><div>
</div><div>After hearing the White House say critical supplies are going to commercial distributors who are then selling them to the states which are begging for help, I called @ltgrusselhonore who commanded federal troops after Hurricane Katrina to get his reaction. Watch this: pic.twitter.com/x7u3qoQ0v6</div><div>
</div><div>— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) April 3, 2020</div><div>
</div><div>Regardless of any complicity on the part of 3M, none of the issues Moskowitz complained about would be happening if this administration was taking charge of the supply chain rather than turning it over to the private sector. Those are the facts.</div><div>
</div><div>But beyond all of that, what we see is that once again the President of the United States took retributive action based on a segment he watched on Fox News. If you think his son-in-law, who has now been put in charge of managing this effort, will do any better, take a look at this.</div><div>
</div><div>Well, this is concerning.</div><div>
</div><div>Kushner says Trump finally acted on addressing supplies shortages after hearing about them “just this morning” from “friends of his in New York.”</div><div>
</div><div>Not the governor. Not the hospitals. Friends.</div><div>
</div><div>This is how Trump runs your country. pic.twitter.com/vlwDR86WWs</div><div>
</div><div>— DNC War Room (@DNCWarRoom) April 2, 2020</div><div>
</div><div>What we have is a president who, during a national emergency, is directing policy based on what he hears on Fox News and from his “friends.” Of course, that’s what he’s always done. In the past, it was bad news. But it is now unconscionable.</div><div>
</div><div>
</div></div><div>=</div><div></div><div>COVID IS A STRESS TEST WE FAIL:</div><div>
</div><div>aha soc safe net is a buffer, adds resilience, includes unemployment insurance that keeps workers alive when they get fired (slowly in case of "creative destruction" mkt shifts, or more sudden recession / pandemic); so it enables capitalism, basically a subsidy to corps?!</div><div>
</div><div><div>eg</div><div><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2020/04/this-is-horrible-florida-republicans-furious-after-unemployment-system-they-mangled-puts-trumps-re-election-in-jeopardy/">https://www.alternet.org/2020/04/this-is-horrible-florida-republicans-furious-after-unemployment-system-they-mangled-puts-trumps-re-election-in-jeopardy/</a></div><div>
</div><div><div>no lnx</div><div>
</div><div>‘This is horrible’: Florida Republicans furious after unemployment system they mangled puts Trump’s re-election in jeopardy</div></div></div>covid fail, spring brk beaches open; bet they wish they had Gillum now
<a href="https://www.alternet.org/2020/03/conservative-pundit-blasts-floridas-gop-governor-for-risking-the-lives-of-millions/">https://www.alternet.org/2020/03/conservative-pundit-blasts-floridas-gop-governor-for-risking-the-lives-of-millions/</a>an 320as <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://click1.e.alternet.org/ggnntjmsmhwdwtppdkgmmdmppkdpsrlfnhmwgcjkllgw_qdgwmdhdtmghgnfgssp.html?a=&b=4076&c=21989&d=2" style="">derelict as the president’: Miami newspaper editorial board slams ‘timid leader’ Ron DeSantis in a scathing editorial</a><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Georgia, " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" serif="serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" font-style="font-style" italic="italic" color="color" rgb="rgb" margin="margin" padding="padding"> Many states in the U.S. — from Pennsylvania and New…<a href="https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/miami-students-to-join-global-climate-strike-2019-11266144">https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/miami-students-to-join-global-climate-strike-2019-11266144</a><h1 style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: 100; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 43px; vertical-align: baseline; background: rgb(255, 255, 255); letter-spacing: -2px; clear: both; padding-top: 5px !important;">eight Times Ron DeSantis "Accidentally" Did Racist Stuff</h1><div class="article-info " style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: rgb(255, 255, 255); min-height: auto; text-align: center; clear: right;"><div class="by-auth" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 3px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; text-transform: uppercase; display: table; float: none; text-align: left; height: auto;"><span class="byline" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; display: inline !important;"><a href="https://www.miaminewtimes.com/authors/jerry-iannelli-8318884" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none !important;">JERRY IANNELLI</a> | <span class="pubdate" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;">SEPTEMBER 4, 2018 | <span class="pubdate" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;">8:00AM</div></div><div class="cs-box side-soc" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 50px 12px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: rgb(255, 255, 255); float: left; clear: both; display: inline-block; width: 50px; max-width: 50px; top: 50px; z-index: 1;"><div class="text-size" title="Toggle text size" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 11px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 1px solid rgb(74, 74, 74); outline: 0px; vertical-align: top; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; display: inline-block; cursor: pointer; text-align: center; height: 22px; width: 26px; white-space: nowrap; overflow: hidden; letter-spacing: 1px; font-variant-numeric: normal !important; font-variant-east-asian: normal !important; font-weight: bold !important; font-stretch: normal !important; line-height: 21px !important;">AA</div></div><div class="story-body" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; max-width: 655px; overflow: hidden; margin: 0px 0px 20px 70px !important;"><p style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 20px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 655px;">After enough racism scandals involving a particular political candidate, you'd think everyone might just admit that person is simply racist. Yet a whole lot of people — from bad-faith conservative pundits to easily fooled reporters — continue offering excuses for Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis' infamous statement on Fox News that Andrew Gillum would "monkey... up" Florida.<p style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 20px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 655px;">At best, that gaffe implies DeSantis, who is a seasoned lawyer with degrees from Harvard and Yale, is so ignorant he doesn't know it's a really bad idea to use the word "monkey" when talking about a black person.<p style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 20px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 655px;">But claiming his use of the word was a simple accident is also hard to believe because DeSantis has a clear, repeated pattern of making offensive and/or outright racist statements, hanging out with racists, and defending other people who are also racists. It's past time that DeSantis — long considered the most right-wing Florida congressman who is running on a platform of fealty to Donald Trump and pure anti-immigrant bile — lost the benefit of the doubt. Here's why:<div class="city-color-border related rel-stories" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 30px 20px 30px 0px; padding: 10px 10px 10px 20px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 20px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 655px; min-width: 180px; box-shadow: none; float: left; clear: both; position: relative; border-width: 1px 0px !important; border-style: solid !important; border-color: rgb(200, 200, 200) !important; border-image: initial !important;"><h2 class="city-color" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 20px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-transform: uppercase; position: absolute; top: -10px; left: 0px; display: inline-block; letter-spacing: -1px;">RELATED STORIES</h2><ul style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; list-style-type: none; width: 625px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; list-style-type: disc;"><h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;"><a href="https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/ron-desantis-outed-as-administrator-of-racist-conspiracy-sharing-facebook-page-10682854" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 17px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none !important;">Ron DeSantis Was Reportedly an Admin of Racist Facebook Page</a></h3></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 5px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; list-style-type: disc;"><h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;"><a href="https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/ron-desantis-is-floridas-radical-politician-not-andrew-gillum-10679498" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 17px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none !important;">Ron DeSantis, Not Andrew Gillum, Is Florida's "Radical" Politician</a></h3></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 5px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; list-style-type: disc;"><h3 style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;"><a href="https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/floridas-ron-desantis-compares-andrew-gillum-to-monkey-10678405" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 17px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none !important;">DeSantis Already Compared Gillum to a Monkey on Fox News</a></h3></li></ul></div><p style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 20px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 655px;">1. <a href="https://www.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2018/04/11/ron-desantis-spoke-next-to-bannon-yiannopoulos-in-2017" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none !important;">He spoke at a Muslim-bashing event alongside Milo Yiannopoulos and Steve Bannon</a>. <span class="inline-video" data-vmg-ad="Teads" data-vmg-track="2nd ad" data-vmg-tracked="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;" /><blockquote style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border-radius: 3px; max-width: 100%; clear: both; padding: 10px 20px !important;"><p style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">David Horowitz, who runs the hard-core-Islamophobic FrontPage Magazine, organizes what he calls a "Restoration Weekend" every year. Past attendees have included Pamela Geller, Jeff Sessions, Nigel Farage, Laura Ingraham, and a slew of lesser-known Islamophobes and random alt-right cretins.<p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">Last year's event included Milo Yiannopoulos, the ex-Breitbart writer whose career is in the toilet thanks to dueling pedophilia- and Nazi-sympathizing scandals; Hungarian nationalist group member Sebastian Gorka; former Trump adviser Steve Bannon; and U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, the Jacksonville congressman who is now one of the frontrunners to become Florida's next governor.<p style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">DeSantis doesn't exactly shy away from courting the far right — he has leaned hard on Trump's January endorsement of him — but the appearance raises serious questions about the kind of company DeSantis is willing to keep.<p style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">Other attendees at last year's event were British alt-right troll Katie Hopkins (who once advocated placing Muslims in internment camps), fired Google sexist James Damore, "campus conservative" Charlie Kirk, Trump-worshipping Congressman Devin Nunes, virulent Islamophobe Mark Steyn, anti-immigrant author Douglas Murray, and fellow Florida Rep. Brian Mast.<p style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">Horowitz's Restoration Weekends don't typically get a ton of mainstream press, likely because Horowitz and his fellow FrontPage writers are far from household names. (Horowitz himself has spent this week on Twitter downplaying the severity of anti-black lynchings in the Old South.)<p style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">But DeSantis' appearance at the event last year, which went unreported save a few mentions in FrontPage and Breitbart, shows the congressman's willingness to pander to some of the most outwardly hateful members of the Republican base. At the time of the November conference, DeSantis had not yet announced his run for governor but apparently had no issues appearing alongside Yiannopoulos, who had already been outed for his comments endorsing pedophilia and his karaoke party with outright neo-Nazi Richard Spencer. BuzzFeed's damning report on Yiannopoulos' leaked emails — which showed him making Nazi jokes and using "kristallnacht" as a password — had hit the internet a month before the event took place. DeSantis, a former Tea Party darling, spoke on the same stage anyway.<p style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;" /></blockquote><p style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 20px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 655px;"> 2. He called New York candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is a Puerto Rican woman, "whatever she is."<p style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 20px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 655px;">3. He defended a supporter who <g class="gr_ gr_52 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Punctuation only-ins replaceWithoutSep" id="52" data-gr-id="52" style="box-sizing: border-box;">said</g> "bring back the hanging tree."<p style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 20px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 655px;"><a href="https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/05/30/bring-back-the-hanging-tree-audience-member-urges-ron-desantis/" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none !important;">Per the Tampa Bay Times:</a><blockquote style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border-radius: 3px; max-width: 100%; clear: both; padding: 10px 20px !important;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">A candidate never knows what an excited audience member might say at campaign event that allows give and take. John McCain in 2008 memorably corrected a woman in Minnesota who called Barack Obama an Arab.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">Last Saturday in Citrus County, Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis told a group of voters about the "four liberals" on the Florida Supreme Court overturning the death sentence of the man convicted of kidnapping, raping and killing 11-year-old Carlie Brucia in Sarasota County in 2004 because the sentencing decision had not been unanimous. "I have a tree and a rope in my back yard," one audience member chimed in.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">"Bring back the hanging tree," added the audience member, drawing laughter as DeSantis continued talking about the court.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-765223919/ron-desantis-on-captial-punishment-5-26-2018/s-Zj7iH" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none !important;">Listen here for the audio.</a><p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">Asked for clarification on his position, DeSantis' campaign stood with the hanging tree questioner. Hard to fathom any Republican primary candidate losing votes by standing for swift justice and vengeance for a child killer.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">"Ron thinks that Floridians should be forgiven for having some pretty strong and not at all politically correct feelings about what should happen to this animal. Let's be clear; we're talking about someone who kidnapped, raped and murdered an 11-year-old girl. The Florida Supreme Court's decision was appalling and demonstrates once again why we need someone like Ron DeSantis, who stared down terrorists while serving in the Navy in Iraq and at the terrorist detention center in Guantanamo Bay, to appoint constitutionalists who will apply the law correctly."<p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">Democratic Gov. Lawton Chiles appointed two of the current justices, and Chiles and Jeb Bush jointly appointed another. Republican governors appointed four of the seven current justices, though three of them were appointed by Charlie Crist, so….<p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;" /></blockquote><p style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 20px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 655px;"> 4. <a href="https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/ron-desantis-outed-as-administrator-of-racist-conspiracy-sharing-facebook-page-10682854" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none !important;">He was <g class="gr gr_53 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Grammar only-ins doubleReplace replaceWithoutSep" id="53" data-gr-id="53" style="box-sizing: border-box;">moderator</g> of a Facebook group that was a haven for racist memes and was run by lunatics</a>.<blockquote style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border-radius: 3px; max-width: 100%; clear: both; padding: 10px 20px !important;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">Click on a page called "Tea Party," which boasts 94,000 followers and claims to be "the oldest and largest #TeaParty group on Facebook," and you'll find that one of the first posts this morning is a glaringly racist meme showing side-by-side photos of Melania Trump and a heavily Photoshopped Michelle Obama with the headline "Make the White House Beautiful Again."<p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">"Who's the guy on the right?" one commenter jokes about the doctored photo of Mrs. Obama, and another responds with a homophobic meme about President Obama.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">The racist post is par for the course for the page, which has also shared at least six posts since Tuesday supporting Florida's new GOP gubernatorial nominee, Ron DeSantis. Perhaps that's because, until reporters began asking questions yesterday, DeSantis was reportedly one of 52 listed administrators of the offensive page.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">DeSantis' affiliation with the Facebook group was turned up by Natalie Martinez, a reporter with Media Matters, who noted that numerous other GOP candidates are also admins, including Arizona Senate candidate Kelly Ward and Virginia Senate candidate Corey Stewart.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">It doesn't appear that DeSantis himself posted recently on the page, but his affiliation with such an obviously racist group wouldn't help his argument that he "accidentally" used the phrase "monkey this up" in relation to his Democratic opponent, Andrew Gillum, on Fox News yesterday.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">Through a spokesperson, DeSantis later confirmed that he was an administrator of the Tea Party group but claims he was added to the page without his knowledge. "The Congressman was completely unaware that he was part of the Facebook group, which he was added to without his knowledge or consent. As soon as he found out about it, he immediately deleted it," Stephen Lawson, a campaign spokesperson, says in a statement sent to reporters. <p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;" /></blockquote><p style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 20px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 655px;"> 5. He proudly associated himself with Sebastian Gorka, who has ties to a Hungarian far-right group that collaborated with the Nazis. Per the Tampa Bay Times <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/02/12/ron-desantis-introduces-divisive-former-white-house-advisor-at-lincoln-day-dinner/&sa=D&source=hangouts&ust=1535834706859000&usg=AFQjCNEma8sKU9Fdy1kdvJcnWo4dJoEAWA" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none !important;">again:</a><blockquote style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border-radius: 3px; max-width: 100%; clear: both; padding: 10px 20px !important;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">Ron DeSantis seems to be making the most of his weekend trips away from Washington, already scheduling fundraisers for his gubernatorial campaign and glad-handing with Floridians.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">On Saturday, he was at the St. Lucie County Lincoln Day Dinner, where he introduced and endorsed former White House advisor Sebastian Gorka, a divisive figure who was forced out of his role last year.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">"We're in an inflection point in the fight against radical Islamic terrorism, and Dr. Gorka has been involved in this for a number of years," DeSantis said. "He was involved in really setting the main strategy in the White House under president Donald trump, and I think we have a chance to really win this fight during the Trump administration."<p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">Gorka has been a divisive figure since he became an advisor to Trump. He has hard-line views on Islam and was not particularly well-known to policymakers before he was appointed a year ago to a job with no clear duties, the New York Times wrote last year.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">He has also been accused of having ties to far-right groups in Europe. In August, Gorka was forced out of the White House. <p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;" /></blockquote><p style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 20px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 655px;">6. His career is based on immigrant-bashing, supporting Trump's insane comments, and ratcheting up deportations.<p style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 20px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 655px;">Importantly, DeSantis hated immigrants long before Trump took office. In 2015, he <a href="https://desantis.house.gov/2015/7/rep-desantis-supports-kates-law" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none !important;">proudly supported "Kate's Law,"</a> which would have ratcheted up punishments on undocumented immigrants because one mentally ill immigrant committed what was likely an accidental murder.<p style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 20px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 655px;">In the meantime, look at how often this guy yells about how Latino immigrants are bringing "lawlessness" into America:<p style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 20px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 655px;">7. <a href="https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/floridas-ron-desantis-compares-andrew-gillum-to-monkey-10678405" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none !important;">Then he made the infamous "monkey this up" comment that his supporters claim was an "accident."</a><blockquote style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border-radius: 3px; max-width: 100%; clear: both; padding: 10px 20px !important;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">After last night's primary results made it official, Floridians assumed newly minted GOP gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis, a Confederate-flag bumper sticker come to life, would run a wild, dog-whistling, and entirely Trumpian campaign against Democrat Andrew Gillum.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">But people perhaps didn't expect DeSantis to start slinging racial slurs this early in the race. Roughly 12 hours after DeSantis and Gillum were crowned the state's two gubernatorial candidates, DeSantis appeared on Fox News this morning and immediately compared Gillum, the state's first black gubernatorial nominee, to a "monkey." DeSantis also called Gillum "articulate" — long a racially coded term used to describe prominent black people.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">After calling Gillum "too liberal" to run Florida, DeSantis added that Gillum was an "articulate spokesperson for those far-left views." He then added seconds later that "the last thing we need to do is monkey this up by trying to embrace a socialist agenda with huge tax increases and bankrupt the state."<p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">Some reporters have already tried to give DeSantis the benefit of the doubt here and claim it was just a slip of the tongue, but in light of his primary campaign, he doesn't deserve that free pass. His entire campaign so far has been about genuflecting to Trump and bashing immigrants. One of his biggest campaign ads included him teaching his son about "building the wall" even though Florida doesn't share a land border with Mexico or any other nation.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;" /></blockquote><p style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 20px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 655px;">8. The Tallahassee Democrat <a href="https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2018/08/31/racist-robocalls-tied-neo-nazi-group-targets-andrew-gillum/1157860002/" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none !important;">reports that an Idaho neo-Nazi group is now making racist, pro-DeSantis robocalls in an offensive black "minstrel" voice with jungle music playing in the background:</a><blockquote style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border-radius: 3px; max-width: 100%; clear: both; padding: 10px 20px !important;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">Robocalls against Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum that say they were paid for by a neo-Nazi group in Idaho are going out to voters in Tallahassee.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">The automated calls are narrated by someone pretending to be Gillum and using an exaggerated minstrel dialect with jungle noises in the background. The calls end with a disclaimer that they were funded by the Road to Power, an anti-Semitic, white-supremacist website and podcast linked to Scott Rhodes of Sandpoint, Idaho.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">According to the Des Moines Register, a sister paper of the Tallahassee Democrat, the group has been linked to other robocall campaigns in Virginia, Oregon, and California.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">Terry Kant-Rauch, a Tallahassee realtor, received one of the robocalls this morning in the voicemail of her cell phone. Kant-Rauch, a Democrat who happens to have a biracial daughter, became emotional after hearing it, she said.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; max-width: 655px; margin: 10px 0px !important;">“Campaign on the merits,” she said, “not on the color of his skin.”</blockquote><p style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 20px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 655px;">Update 9/14: DeSantis had to <a href="https://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2018/09/14/desantis-blocks-fundraiser-over-hurtful-and-disgusting-racial-slurs-611783" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none !important;">block a former Miami lawmaker from co-chairing one of his fundraisers</a> because said lawmaker, ex-State Rep. Ralph Arza, in 2006 was accused of calling a man a "black piece of shit," leaving threatening messages on a colleague's cell phone and at one point calling that same colleague "my nigga."<p style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 20px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 655px;">Update: 9/17: According to the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting, DeSantis in October 2017 <a href="https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/ron-desantis-spoke-at-event-organized-by-act-for-america-an-anti-muslim-hate-group-10741071" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none !important;">spoke at a conference held by ACT! for America, a violently anti-Muslim organization classified as a <g class="gr_ gr_242 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear ContextualSpelling ins-del" id="242" data-gr-id="242" style="box-sizing: border-box;">hate-group</g>. </a> Update 9/20: Two different racism scandals broke in the same day! What a coincidence.<p style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 20px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 655px;">First, Politico reported that a DeSantis donor who once got the candidate to speak at Mar-a-Lago once <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/20/ron-desantis-florida-racial-issues-830726" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none !important;">called Barack Obama a "MUSLIM NIGGER" online.</a><p style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 20px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 655px;">And New Times reported that DeSantis's wife, Casey, appeared at a Broward County event alongside a Barack Obama "birther" who also has ties to an anti-Muslim extremist group. <a href="https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/ron-desantiss-wife-appears-with-obama-birther-10748592" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none !important;">The conspiracy-theorist, Trevor Loudon, is also an administrator in the same racist Facebook group that DeSantis was caught running.</a></div><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2019/06/floridas-gop-governor-approves-repugnant-new-law-that-could-ban-up-to-1-million-from-voting">https://www.alternet.org/2019/06/floridas-gop-governor-approves-repugnant-new-law-that-could-ban-up-to-1-million-from-voting</a><table width="550" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" margin="margin" auto="auto"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="410"><a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://click1.e.alternet.org/bzzbqszvztdydqmmyjfzzyzmmjymvgcnbtzdfpsbclf_yvslsvcvnskgscsgbkk.html?a=&b=466&c=21989&d=2">Florida’s GOP governor approves repugnant new law that could ban up to 1 million from voting</a> Floridians voted in favor of a constitutional amendment to <a title="" href="https://www.dailykos.com/story/2018/11/6/1810578/-Florida-voters-smash-a-legacy-of-Jim-Crow-and-restore-voting-rights-to-more-than-1-million-citizens" style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" box-sizing="box-sizing" border-box="border-box" outline="outline" none="none" margin="margin" px="px" padding="padding" text-decoration-line="text-decoration-line" transition="transition" color="color" s="s" ease="ease" cursor="cursor" pointer="pointer">restore voting rights for as many as 1.4 million citizens</a> who had fully completed their felony sentences by a 65-35 landslide last year, but on Friday, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis <a href="https://www.flgov.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/6.282.pdf" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" box-sizing="box-sizing" border-box="border-box" outline="outline" none="none" margin="margin" px="px" padding="padding" text-decoration-line="text-decoration-line" transition="transition" color="color" s="s" ease="ease" cursor="cursor" pointer="pointer">has signed</a> a <a href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2019/7066" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" box-sizing="box-sizing" border-box="border-box" outline="outline" none="none" margin="margin" px="px" padding="padding" text-decoration-line="text-decoration-line" transition="transition" color="color" s="s" ease="ease" cursor="cursor" pointer="pointer">new law </a>that will keep the vast majority of those citizens disenfranchised and also bans early voting on college campuses. Republicans also recently <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/6/14/1864899/-Voting-Rights-Roundup-New-York-City-to-vote-this-November-on-adopting-instant-runoff-voting#4" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" box-sizing="box-sizing" border-box="border-box" outline="outline" none="none" margin="margin" px="px" padding="padding" text-decoration-line="text-decoration-line" transition="transition" color="color" s="s" ease="ease" cursor="cursor" pointer="pointer">passed another law to stymie similar ballot initiatives</a> in the future that DeSantis has already signed.<div class="story-intro story-content reader_view_article_wrap_8666197248148206" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="p1_15" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">To thwart the will of Florida voters, Republicans are <a title="" href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/05/florida-republican-senate-ron-desantis-amendment-4-felon-voting-rights.html" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">imposing a measure straight out of the Jim Crow playbook: poll taxes</a>. This new law would require the payment of all court-ordered restitution as well as any court-related fines or fees before voters can regain their rights.<div class="p2_15" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="alt_ad_block story-page-in-content-graph-2" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="teadsNative" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Florida’s felony disenfranchisement system itself <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/story/2018/11/6/1810578/-Florida-voters-smash-a-legacy-of-Jim-Crow-and-restore-voting-rights-to-more-than-1-million-citizens" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">is a remnant of Jim Crow</a>: It <a href="https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/aclu-slams-florida-amendment-4-poll-tax-bill-spb-7086-11129838" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">was given its modern form</a> shortly after the Civil War <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/election/article95105602.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">as part of a series of changes intended to disempower black citizens</a> in a state that <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/perspective/floridas-history-of-suppressing-blacks-votes/2146546" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">was nearly one-half black at the time</a>. Before 2018’s ballot initiative passed, the Sentencing Project estimated that one in ten Floridians <a href="https://www.sentencingproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/6-Million-Lost-Voters.pdf#page=17" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">were disenfranchised</a>, including <a href="https://www.sentencingproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/6-Million-Lost-Voters.pdf#page=18" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">one in five black voters</a>—five times the rate of those who aren’t black....</div></div></div></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table>Also: Fox "news side" anchor Shannon Bream <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://click.e.mediamatters.org/?qs=aee3354f21e2d898f17e3ee7c6214e57fa59e727a20b4cb786d437b2f855c9a572ac614fb10ee3d97daf72ccc44451568e08ba0726aff8ee" title="was scheduled" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">was scheduled</a> to keynote a fundraiser for a Koch linked group alongside the Republican governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis. After Media Matters reported on her appearance, Bream suddenly "had to cancel." She was replaced by a Wall Street Journal columnist.<a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/28012019/florida-governor-desantis-environment-directives-sea-level-rise-climate-change-republican">https://insideclimatenews.org/news/28012019/florida-governor-desantis-environment-directives-sea-level-rise-climate-change-republican</a><div class="content" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field-items" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Florida's new Republican governor has moved quickly on a number of environmental priorities, but so far, he has stopped short of any comprehensive plan to cut greenhouse gas pollution.That's a gaping hole, say environmental advocates, but they give him credit where they say it's due.Several of Gov. Ron DeSantis' early environmental <a href="https://www.flgov.com/2019/01/10/governor-ron-desantis-announces-major-water-policy-reforms/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">directives</a> are aimed at cleaning up water and helping Florida adapt to the effects of global warming, including more intense hurricanes and <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/topic/sea-level-rise" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">sea level rise</a> that <a href="https://stakes.climatecentral.org/#10/25.9074/-80.9315?show=stakes&level=3&unit=feet&pois=hide" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">threatens</a> to swallow parts of the state in the coming decades. He called for appointing chief science officer to coordinate scientific research, and he staked an opposition to fracking and offshore oil and gas activities. But there's no clear call for reducing the pollution that causes global warming, and climate advocates are waiting to see who that chief science officer will beSome environmental advocates say it appears that DeSantis, a former congressman and Navy lawyer, is at least willing to listen to scientists on environmental and climate issues. That would be a sharp turn from the last eight years under the administration of Republican Rick Scott, they said.<input type="text" name="b_7c733794100bcc7e083a163f0_29c928ffb5" tabindex="-1" value="" style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; margin: 0px; width: 250px; max-width: 100%; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(231, 231, 231); border-radius: 6px; padding: 0.75rem 1rem;" />DeSantis "has set up an office of science, and he talks about how he wants science to drive decisions," said Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. "Those things together force you to have to confront the fact that there are things the state and local governments can do not only on the adaptation side, but also in the mitigation side.""This guy is clearly cut from a different cloth than Rick Scott," Smith said.As governor, Scott, who now represents Florida in the U.S. Senate, was seen by many as <a href="https://www.politifact.com/florida/article/2015/mar/11/fact-checking-rick-scott-environment-and-sea-level/" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">indifferent or hostile</a> to concerns about the climate in a state with a lot to lose from global warming. Early on, his administration had an unwritten policy banning the terms climate change and global warming, <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article13576691.html" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">according</a> to the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting, and he stopped work on a statewide climate action plan that had been launched by his then-Republican predecessor Charlie Crist.<h3 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.333;">New Directives Include Risks of Sea Level Rise</h3>The environment has become a prominent <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18102018/florida-governor-election-gillum-desantis-environment-hurricane-toxic-algae-young-voters" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">issue</a> in Florida, including during the last election.On the Gulf Coast, a toxic red tide algae burned beachgoers eyes and lungs and killed manatees by the dozens. In Lake Okeechobee and on the Atlantic Coast, rancid blooms of toxic blue-green algae prompted health warnings to stay out of the water. Hurricane Michael, fueled by the <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/09102018/hurricane-michael-florence-agriculture-damage-carolina-georgia-peanuts-cotton-science-warm-water" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">overly warm</a> waters of the Gulf of Mexico, exploded from almost nothing to Category 4 strength in just three days, devastating communities in the Panhandle.DeSantis shied away from talking about the causes of climate change during the race, while his Democratic opponent, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, called for embracing "a plan to transition Florida to clean energy as rapidly as possible." DeSantis <a href="https://www.apnews.com/a5bffabd18db40a5a39d96572005c0fc" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">narrowly won</a>.Within a week of taking office this month, DeSantis signed an <a href="https://www.flgov.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/EO-19-12-.pdf" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">executive order</a> that included measures aimed at improving water quality."Gov. DeSantis knows the protection of Florida's water resources is one of the most pressing issues facing our state, and that's why issuing this executive order was one of his first actions upon taking office," a statement provided by the governor's media office said.But the order also went beyond water quality with its science and resilience directives, including telling Florida's Department of Environmental Protection to ensure its decisions are based on the best available science and ordering the creation of an Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection to help communities prepare for the effects of sea level rise.It also told state regulators to oppose the natural gas drilling practice known as hydraulic fracturing and to fight offshore oil and gas activities, even beyond state waters where drilling is already banned.The swiftness of the governor's moves caught many people by surprise, said Cynthia Barnett, a Florida-based author and environmental fellow at the University of Florida's Bob Graham Center for Public Service."Floridians seemed to be shocked, and it wasn't that we haven't seen a Republican champion environmental issues," she said. "But the speed of Gov. DeSantis' actions came as a surprise."<h3 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.333;">Still Lots of Unanswered Questions</h3>Still, some environmental advocates are wary."What's missing is anything to actually curb carbon emissions," said Jonathan Webber, deputy director of Florida Conservation Voters, which works to elect environmentally minded public officials. It's too soon to pass judgment on the governor's environmental directives because nobody knows yet how they will be carried out, said Frank Jackalone, director of the Sierra Club Florida. For example, Floridians are still waiting to find out who will be named as the state's chief scientist, a position charged with coordinating science policies across state government."If it's someone who is in the minority of scientists who is a climate change denier, then it might not accomplish its purpose," Jackalone said.He said there's reason to be concerned, in part because of DeSantis's record on environmental legislation, which earned a League of Conservation Voters <a href="http://scorecard.lcv.org/moc/ron-desantis" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">score</a> of just 2 percent during his six years in Congress.During the campaign, DeSantis was non-committal on climate science, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX97eJmAxhs" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">telling</a> reporters: "I am not in the pews of the church of the global warming leftists. I am not a global warming person. I don't want that label on me." He <a href="https://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20180815/desantis-says-climate-change-not-issue-for-states-to-mitigate" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">suggested </a>that climate change was a global issue for the national and international levels, rather than the state. During a press conference earlier this month, he <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2019/01/11/does-gov-desantis-believe-in-climate-change/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">declined</a> to answer a reporter's question on his climate science views.DeSantis' press office declined to answer questions about the governor's position on reducing heat-trapping gasses or the qualifications he'll be seeking in a chief science officer.Webber credits DeSantis for doing "what every smart politician tries to do, which is turn a weakness into a strength. Protecting our environment is popular with all Floridians, so doing what is right is a no-brainer for a politician looking to define himself."DeSantis made that connection in his inaugural address. "Our economic potential will be jeopardized if we do not solve the problems afflicting our environment and water resources," he <a href="https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2019/01/08/ron-desantis-governor-florida-inauguration-address/2513844002/" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">said</a>.  <h3 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.333;">Cities Need State's Help with Adaptation</h3>Florida is the nation's third-largest state, and scientists say its growing population faces major risks from the effects of climate change, including extreme heat, drought, more potent hurricanes and worsening coastal flooding as sea level rises.The Union of Concerned Scientists last year <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/press/2018/new-study-finds-1-million-florida-homes-worth-351-billion-will-be-risk-tidal-flooding#.XEiP2M9Kg8Z" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">published</a> a report that concluded that in less than three decades, about 64,000 of today's residential Florida properties would be at risk of chronic inundation.Local governments need a strong state partner to help them adapt, said Steve Adams, director of urban resilience for the Institute for Sustainable Communities and former energy policy advisor to Crist, who switched parties and is now a Democratic congressman. Adams helped four South Florida counties including Miami-Dade form a <a href="http://www.southeastfloridaclimatecompact.org/" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">climate compact</a> to work cooperatively on the climate change threats and responses, and he said he is encouraged by DeSantis' early environmental moves.A new office of resilience could help Florida communities get the funding and technical support "in a way that hasn't been present these lasts several years," said Lauren Ordway, an Institute for Sustainable Communities program manager who works with the four counties to address climate change."For many years now, our local leaders have been taking this issue exceptionally seriously," she said. "I don't think there is any time to waste to rolling up our sleeves and getting into action."Webber, with Florida Conservation Voters, agreed that working on adaptation is vital, but so is emission reductions."We don't need to see that in the first week," he said, "but we hope that's coming."</div></div></div></div><div class="tagged-with" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-transform: uppercase; margin-bottom: 1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><label style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; line-height: 1.2;">PUBLISHED UNDER:</label><div class="field field-name-field-topics field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field-items" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field-item even" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; padding-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/topics/politics" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">POLITICS</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field-items" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field-item even" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; padding-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/topic/climate-change" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">CLIMATE CHANGE</a></div> <div class="field-item odd" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; padding-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/topic/sea-level-rise" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">SEA LEVEL RISE</a></div> <div class="field-item even" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; padding-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/tags/national-environment-reporting-network-southeast" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">NERN - SOUTHEAST</a></div></div></div></div>
=<a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/betsy-devos-and-family-bankroll-florida-governor-candidate-desantis-a-school-voucher-enthusiast">http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/betsy-devos-and-family-bankroll-florida-governor-candidate-desantis-a-school-voucher-enthusiast</a><div class="layout-constrain--narrow" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 47.2222em; padding-left: 1em; padding-right: 1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><h1 class="page-title" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; font-weight: normal; hyphens: none; line-height: 1; position: relative; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; padding-top: 0.5em;">Betsy DeVos and Family Bankroll Florida Governor Candidate DeSantis, a School Voucher Enthusiast</h1><div class="byline" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin-top: 1em;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear;"><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post_author/astan/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">By </a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post_author/astan/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Adele M. Stan</a> | <span style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear;">October 24, 2018 5:54 pm</div><div class="post__image" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 2em 0px;"><div class="mce-content-body" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear;"><div class="layout-constrain--narrow" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 47.2222em; padding-left: 1em; padding-right: 1em; line-height: 1.5;"><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear;">The third in our three-part series on the right-wing players around Ron DeSantis, the Republican candidate for governor of Florida.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">When Ron DeSantis, Florida’s Republican candidate for governor, found himself in hot water—once again—over his <a href="https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/eight-times-ron-desantis-did-racist-stuff-by-accident-10687534" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">beliefs about black people</a> and America’s racial history, a <a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/koch-and-adelson-come-to-the-rescue-of-trump-devotee-ron-desantis-in-florida/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">handful of wealthy donors</a> swooped in to try to rescue his campaign. Polls showed him in a dead heat against Democrat Andrew Gillum, who is African American.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">Among the angels to alight in his coffers was the heiress Betsy DeVos, who currently leads the U.S. Department of Education, and whose family enriched a pro-DeSantis political action committee this month with hundreds of thousands of dollars. The DeVos family has long invested in the project of building a right-wing political infrastructure that is designed to elevate the policy prescriptions of white evangelical leaders, as has DeVos’ family of origin, the Princes. (Erik Prince, founder of Blackwater, is DeVos’ brother. Her parents, Elsa and Edgar, helped <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/default/news/2017/01/23/296947/the-devos-dynasty-a-family-of-extremists/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">found the Family Research Council</a>, which is classified as an <a href="https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/family-research-council" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">anti-LGBT hate group</a> by the Southern Poverty Law Center.)<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">It’s not surprising that DeVos would want to rescue DeSantis. Take a look at the education agenda he has put forward and you’ll find a wish list of goodies for Religious Right leaders and other “small-government conservatives.” And even more than that, the specter of a progressive Democrat like Gillum leading education policy in a state as populous as Florida (20 million) could create a significant pocket of resistance to any federal policy imposed by DeVos.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">While DeSantis may not be especially involved with the evangelical community, he knows on which side his bread is buttered. DeVos, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/23/us/politics/betsy-devos-trumps-education-pick-has-steered-money-from-public-schools.html?r=0" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">champion of the privatization of education</a>, and the Trump administration’s secretary of education, descends from Religious Right royalty. When Trump chose DeVos for that spot, it was because he knew on which side his base is buttered—the evangelical side.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">Right-wing evangelicals and Catholics favor school voucher plans and supports for homeschoolers that <a href="http://www.pfaw.org/report/betsy-devos-nomination-a-new-high-water-mark-in-right-wings-long-war-on-public-education/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">siphon money away from public schools</a>, as well as from the public-sector unions that represent teachers and other school personnel, all positions DeVos advances. The vouchers amount to tax dollars applied to tuition at private schools and those run by churches and other religious organizations. (For more on DeVos’ record as a school privatizer, see PFAW’s 2017 report, <a href="http://www.pfaw.org/report/betsy-devos-nomination-a-new-high-water-mark-in-right-wings-long-war-on-public-education/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">A New High Water Mark in Right Wing’s Long War on Public Education</a>.)<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">In fact, on a visit to New York City last spring, the U.S. secretary of education seemed to go out of her way to insult public-school students and teachers by choosing two religious schools for a visit, but none of the city’s public schools. From a May 18 <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/16/nyregion/devos-visits-new-york-jewish-schools-not-public.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">New York Times report</a>:<blockquote style="background: rgb(239, 243, 243); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; hyphens: none; padding: 1.5em; margin: 0px 0.75em 2em;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">Education Secretary Betsy DeVos toured two New York City schools on Tuesday and Wednesday, but the city’s public schools, with their 1.1 million students, were not among them.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px; line-height: 1.5;">Instead, Ms. DeVos visited two Orthodox Jewish schools, and offered her strongest comments to date in support of public funding for religious schools in a meeting with Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan and other Catholic dignitaries.</blockquote><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">In addition to his pro-voucher position, DeSantis stood behind Amendment 8—a measure ultimately <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/florida/fl-reg-charter-amendment-ruling-20180820-story.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">struck from the 2018 ballot</a> by the Florida Supreme Court for being “misleading”—which would have yanked control of charter schools from local school boards and handed it to the state—through changes to the state constitution. Conservatives have found certain localities to be  unwelcoming to charter schools.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">The measure would also have imposed eight-year term limits on local school boards. Absent the ballot measure, DeSantis has folded those positions into his own <a href="https://rondesantis.com/education/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">education policy agenda</a>.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">The court’s actions stirred right-wing ire about the ideological balance of the state’s highest court. Governor Rick Scott, who is currently challenging incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson for his seat, had planned to replace three of the court’s justices just hours after he leaves office, but the court overruled his power-grab. Because of term limits on the state’s Supreme Court justices, three retirements will kick in automatically in January, leaving the next governor to determine the shape of the court.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">SINCE WINNING the Florida GOP gubernatorial nomination, DeSantis’ attitudes towards African Americans have attracted scrutiny, beginning with comments he made at the outset of the general election campaign, when he urged Floridians to “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/aug/29/ron-desantis-racism-monkey-up-andrew-gillum-florida-governor-election" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">not monkey this up</a>” by electing Democratic opponent Andrew Gillum, who is black. Something of a steady trickle commenced, with DeSantis having to ditch a fundraiser, <a href="https://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2018/09/14/desantis-blocks-fundraiser-over-hurtful-and-disgusting-racial-slurs-611783" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">state Rep. Ralph Arza</a>, who had used the “N” word in threatening voicemails to a colleague 12 years ago, and who has a reputation for using racial slurs. Next, the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/gop-candidate-for-fla-governor-spoke-at-racially-charged-events/2018/09/09/c6d3a63c-b114-11e8-a810-4d6b627c3d5d_story.html?utm_term=.b7f640f9c2f7" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Washington Post published</a> a report on DeSantis’ participation in the far-right conferences convened by David Horowitz, where he appeared on the same stage as the professionally offensive, white-nationalism-sympathizer Milo Yiannapoulos, and other far-right figures. Then, on October 8, the American Ledger blog published by the American Bridge super PAC <a href="https://american-ledger.com/accountability/as-house-candidate-desantis-penned-racially-charged-book-excusing-slavery/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">unearthed a book</a> he authored that made excuses for slavery in the U.S. The DeSantis campaign was losing momentum, virtually tied with Gillum in the polls.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">Three days later, the candidate’s PAC, Friends of Ron DeSantis, <a href="https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2018/10/17/devos-family-owners-of-the-orlando-magic-just-donated-200k-to-ron-desantis" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">received a total of $200,000</a> from four members of Betsy DeVos’ family, as well as <a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/koch-and-adelson-come-to-the-rescue-of-trump-devotee-ron-desantis-in-florida/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">infusions</a> from others in the <a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/koch-and-adelson-come-to-the-rescue-of-trump-devotee-ron-desantis-in-florida/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">donor network</a> created by the billionaire brothers, Charles and David Koch.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">Each of those donors no doubt has his or her own checklist of expectations and demands, but DeSantis’ school privatization agenda seems robust, hitting all of the key constituencies: the homeschoolers, the religious schools, the union-haters.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">Some of the candidate’s education agenda, as posted on the <a href="https://rondesantis.com/education/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Ron DeSantis for Governor</a> website:<blockquote style="background: rgb(239, 243, 243); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; hyphens: none; padding: 1.5em; margin: 0px 0.75em 2em;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear;">Support School Choice Options. To ensure that all Florida students can go to a good school and empower parents to make educational decisions for their children, Ron DeSantis will support school choice options such as public magnet schools, district & non-district managed public charter schools, Florida Virtual School, home education, and the various other choice options. DeSantis will also look at the possibility of creating Education Savings Accounts for more Florida students including those from low-income and working-class families.</blockquote><blockquote style="background: rgb(239, 243, 243); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; hyphens: none; padding: 1.5em; margin: 0px 0.75em 2em;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">[…]<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear;">Ensure Equal Access for Parents Who Home School Their Children. To support the families of the nearly 90,000 students in Florida that are home schooled, Ron DeSantis will ensure that these children have equal access to resources available to other students, such as dual enrollment and extracurricular activities. The decision on how a child should be educated is best left to their family, as no far-away bureaucrat could ever understand a child the way a parent does. For many Florida families, homeschooling provides the best opportunity to educate their children.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"> </blockquote><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">DeSantis also embraces a so-called “merit pay” scheme that seems designed to pit teacher against teacher, and teachers against non-teaching staff, by pledging to cut “wasteful” spending on the education “bureaucracy,” and funneling that “savings” into merit increases for selected teachers.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">Like DeSantis, DeVos is a <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/09/20/ron-desantis-on-gambling-charter-schools-differing-from-rick-scott-and-his-concerns-with-student-testing/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">fan of charter schools</a>, which also draw their funding from tax dollars, but exist outside the traditional public school system. In April 2017, DeVos visited the Excel Academy, a public charter school in Washington, D.C., <a href="http://theconversation.com/what-we-can-learn-from-closure-of-charter-school-that-devos-praised-as-shining-example-90084" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">describing it</a> as a “<a href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/secretary-education-betsy-devos-issues-statement-visit-excel-academy-first-lady-melania-trump-and-queen-rania-jordan" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">shining example</a> of a school meeting the needs of its students, parents and community.” By January 2018, the school had closed because of its poor performance.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">Of course, there are reasons beyond DeSantis’ education agenda that make him an attractive repository for DeVos dollars. The family <a href="http://www.nba.com/article/2018/09/06/orlando-magic-rich-devos-passes-away-92" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">owns the Orlando Magic</a> basketball team, a business, like any, that could always use a friend in the governor’s mansion.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear;">Read more in our series on DeSantis and the right:<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;"><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/ron-desantis-appearances-at-horowitz-events-even-worse-the-closer-you-look/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear;">Ron DeSantis’ Appearances at Horowitz Events: Even Worse the Closer You Look</a><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;"><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/ron-desantis-embraces-right-wing-plan-to-re-write-u-s-constitution/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear;">Ron DeSantis Embraces Right-Wing Plan to Rewrite U.S. Constitution</a><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;"> </div></div><div class="layout-constrain--narrow" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 47.2222em; padding-left: 1em; padding-right: 1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="tags" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; border-top: 5px solid rgb(239, 243, 243); margin-bottom: 2em; padding-top: 1em;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear;">Tags: <a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/people/andrew-gillum/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Andrew Gillum</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/people/betsy-devos/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Betsy DeVos</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/people/edgar-prince/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Edgar Prince</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/people/elsa-prince/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Elsa Prince</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/people/erik-prince/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Erik Prince</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/people/ron-desantis/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Ron DeSantis</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/topics/election-2018/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Election 2018</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/organizations/amway/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Amway</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/organizations/department-of-education/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Department of Education</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/organizations/family-research-council/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Family Research Council</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/organizations/southern-poverty-law-center/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Southern Poverty Law Center</a></div></div><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/koch-and-adelson-come-to-the-rescue-of-trump-devotee-ron-desantis-in-florida/">http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/koch-and-adelson-come-to-the-rescue-of-trump-devotee-ron-desantis-in-florida/</a><div class="mce-content-body" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear;"><div class="layout-constrain--narrow" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 47.2222em; padding-left: 1em; padding-right: 1em; line-height: 1.5;"><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear;"> <a href="https://readsludge.com/2018/10/19/koch-and-adelson-come-to-the-rescue-of-trump-devotee-ron-desantis-in-florida/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear;">Sludge</a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear;">, an investigative money-in-politics website. Visit <a href="http://readsludge.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear;">readsludge.com</a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear;"> to subscribe to its weekly newsletter.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">Charles Koch, the billionaire CEO of Koch Industries who leads a vast, conservative political network, has made a habit of pointing out his disagreements with President Donald Trump, but sometimes money speaks louder than words.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">Despite Republican Ron DeSantis’ fawning praise of Trump, whose trade tariffs and immigration policies have made Koch bristle, Koch’s political network is spending big to help the current congressman and Florida gubernatorial candidate edge out Democratic nominee Andrew Gillum. The progressive policies championed by Gillum would surely increase environmental regulations and government spending, two initiatives that Koch and his network of wealthy rightwing donors viciously oppose.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">Billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and his wife Miriam—the <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/summ.php?cycle=2018&disp=D&type=V&superonly=N" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">biggest donors</a> to outside political spending groups of the 2018 election cycle—have put up big bucks to assist DeSantis as well.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">A Sludge analysis of state campaign finance data shows that these two GOP royal families have poured millions of dollars into this tight gubernatorial contest. In addition to direct contributions to DeSantis’ political committees from Koch Industries and the Adelsons, three independent spending groups financed by Koch and his donor network have spent millions of dollars backing DeSantis.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">Koch Industries, which operates a global oil, chemicals and materials conglomerate, has several <a href="https://www.kochind.com/locations/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">facilities</a> in Florida, including for its paper company, Georgia-Pacific, and its synthetic materials business, Molex. Georgia-Pacific has been fined for dozens of environmental and workplace safety/health violations, as recently as 2017, and Molex was cited in 2012 for workplace safety/health violations, according to <a href="https://violationtracker.goodjobsfirst.org/prog.php?parent=koch-industries&order=pen_year&sort=desc" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Good Jobs First</a>. Overall, Koch Industries has had to pay $737 million for federal and state violations.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">In the early 2000s, according to American Bridge, Koch Industries used the Koch political network’s ties to then-Gov. Jeb Bush to <a href="http://bridgeproject.com/research/koch-impacts-florida/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">loosen environmental regulations</a> just as Koch Industries purchased Georgia-Pacific, which operates waste pipelines that run through Florida and may have contributed to algae blooms in state rivers.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">Gillum is running to “<a href="https://andrewgillum.com/issue/environment/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">transition Florida to clean energy</a> as rapidly as possible” and to crack down on “corporate polluters,” goals that would hurt Koch Industries’ bottom line.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">For the Adelsons, uncritical support for Israel and its current government is their top issue, and DeSantis has been a leading booster of the Trump brand of Middle East diplomacy. Absent any proof, DeSantis has called Gillum an anti-Semite. DeSantis recently claimed that if elected, he would be the <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article220017410.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">most pro-Israel governor</a> in the country.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear;">The Koch Groups<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">DeSantis is about as pro-Trump as you can get. His campaign’s first <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BYgM7yWgkY" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">election ad</a> this year featured DeSantis, a self-proclaimed “pitbull Trump defender,” teaching his daughter to “build that wall” and to say, “Make America Great Again.”<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">In January 2016 <a href="https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2016/01/31/koch-freedom-partners/79618442/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">DeSantis attended</a> the Koch network’s invitation-only donor summit at a luxury resort in Indian Wells, Calif.. At these semi-annual gatherings, Koch and other rightwing billionaires and multi-millionaires get together to talk political spending strategy. Operatives invite various Republican candidates to audition before the donors of the Koch network.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">It appears DeSantis passed the test, and even <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/29/florida-governors-race-billionaire-donors-gop-ron-desantis-319622" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">played golf</a> with Koch at another donor summit in Colorado in June 2017.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">A few months later, Americans for Prosperity’s Florida branch featured DeSantis at <a href="https://americansforprosperity.org/afp-florida-host-un-rig-economy-summer-series-congressman-ron-desantis-discuss-efforts-push-comprehensive-tax-reform/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">three events</a> concerning tax cut legislation, which Congress passed in December to the Koch network’s delight.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">In July 2018, Koch network super PAC Freedom Partners Action Fund (FPAF) <a href="https://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2018/07/11/desantis-wins-formal-koch-backing-as-momentum-continues-to-shift-504166" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">endorsed</a> DeSantis, giving him a big boost in the Republican primary where polls had him behind the frontrunner. Since then, FPAF, which is linked to Koch’s trade group and “central bank” of the Koch political network, Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce, has spent $323,000 on mailers and digital ads supporting DeSantis.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">FPAF recently released information on its 2018 third-quarter federal donors, including Charles Koch ($3 million) and Koch network donors Dick DeVos ($1 million) and Darwin Deason ($1 million), but its list of donors submitted to the Florida Division of Elections is extremely thin, amounting to only $25,000.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">Another Koch super PAC popped up in September, this time tied to the Koch-backed social welfare nonprofit Americans for Prosperity. <a href="https://readsludge.com/2018/10/10/koch-brothers-new-super-pac-spends-4-million-on-midterms-without-disclosing-donors/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Americans for Prosperity Action</a>, <a href="http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00687103/1270769/sa/ALL" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">funded</a> by FPAF ($5 million) and individuals such as Mountaire Corporation CEO Ronnie Cameron ($1 million) and private equity executive Wayne Laufer ($500,00), announced a <a href="http://floridapolitics.com/archives/276411-americans-for-prosperity-action-hits-extreme-andrew-gillum-in-new-ad-buy" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">digital ad and mailer campaign</a> attacking Gillum, but no AFP Action documents appear on the Florida Division of Elections website. An AFP Action spokesperson told Sludge that the organization has spent $316,000 in the governor’s race. The committee had filed its registration papers weeks ago and that the Division of Elections was wrapping up the application process on Oct. 18.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear;">Republican Governors Association<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">Both the Adelsons and Koch Industries have bankrolled the Republican Governors Association, a 527 political committee that spends on gubernatorial races around the country, this cycle. The Adelsons combined to donate $4 million to the RGA, while Koch Industries added $1 million, according to the group’s <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5004957-Republican-Governors-Association-2018-Q3.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">latest IRS filing</a>.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">The RGA created a Florida-based spending group, Florida Facts, and has donated $7.4 million to it so far. Florida Facts has spent nearly all of that total on <a href="https://www.rga.org/rga-launches-first-tv-ad-florida-governors-race-far/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">TV ads</a> attacking Gillum, including one that portrays him as a “radical, far-left” candidate and depicts him as an alien planet.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear;">DeSantis PACs<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">Sheldon and Miriam Adelson donated $6,000 directly to the DeSantis campaign, but gave far more to an affiliated political committee, Friends of Ron DeSantis, which can accept unlimited amounts of money. Giving to Friends of Ron DeSantis are GOP megadonors who make up his campaign’s formidable <a href="https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000160-9f41-dcd4-a96b-bf6915390000" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Finance Leadership Team</a>, including the Adelsons, who gave half a million dollars. Also on the team are current and former Koch network donors such as Foster Freiss ($10,000), Wayne Laufer ($75,000), Rebekah Mercer ($25,000) and Richard Uihlein ($500,000). The family of Education Sec. Betsy DeVos gave <a href="https://friendsofrondesantis.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/fordcont1013.pdf" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">$200,000</a>, including $50,000 from her husband, Dick. Koch network donor John Childs, a private equity executive, donated $600,000, and Ronnie Cameron gave $100,000. The Republican Governors Association also gave $1 million to the PAC.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">Friends of Ron DeSantis also took in nearly $2.5 million from another committee, Fund for Florida’s Future, which is financed by several Koch network donors, including members of the Texas fracking billionaire Darwin Deason ($25,000) and his son, Doug ($10,000)—who are also on the leadership team—Laufer ($25,000) and Uihlein ($250,000), as well as other big donors, such as Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus ($250,000).<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">Gillum wants to <a href="https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2018/09/18/andrew-gillum-and-ron-desantis-clash-over-education/1344831002/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">end Florida’s school voucher program</a>, which offers public scholarships for students to attend private and often religious schools. DeVos and her family are huge proponents of school vouchers, as well as school choice, and DeSantis’ proposal to expand “school choice” would certainly appeal to them.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">DeSantis was able to transfer funds from his U.S. House campaign and his federal leadership PAC to Friends of Ron DeSantis. Koch Industries’ PAC donated <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/?two_year_transaction_period=2018&data_type=processed&committee_id=C00511568&contributor_name=koch&min_date=01%2F01%2F2017&max_date=10%2F17%2F2018" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">$5,000</a> to DeSantis’ House campaign, which has transferred $1.1 million to Friends of Ron DeSantis. KochPAC also gave <a href="http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?201801299090679961" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">$5,000</a> to DeSantis’ leadership PAC, First Principles Fund, which later transferred $50,000 to Friends of Ron DeSantis.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">Gillum has a billionaire benefactor, too. Liberal hedge fund manager Tom Steyer kicked in <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/17/politics/steyer-donation-andrew-gillum/index.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">$2 million</a> to Gillum’s Forward Florida PAC, and his NextGen America political nonprofit will reportedly spend $5 million to help Gillum’s bid for governor.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">So far DeSantis’ campaign committee has raised roughly $12.3 million and spent close to $6.6 million, while Gillum’s campaign has received $13.4 million and spent roughly $9.6 million. But Friends of Ron DeSantis has gotten nearly $32 million in donations and spent almost all of that amount. Gillum’s Forward Florida has raised roughly $19.3 million since its inception in 2016 and has spent $16.6 million.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear;">Additional Koch Ties<p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">At least one member of DeSantis’ campaign team has worked for Koch-funded initiatives in the past. Communications strategist Sarah Bascom <a href="https://rondesantis.com/desantis-campaign-continues-to-grow-campaign-team/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">joined</a> DeSantis’ campaign communications team in late September. In 2016, <a href="https://www.energyandpolicy.org/sarah-bascom/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Bascom</a> was the spokesperson for an anti-solar energy ballot measure campaign in Florida that was partially <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2016/03/07/florida-rooftop-solar-advocates-challenge-deceptive-anti-solar-campaign-court" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">bankrolled</a> by the Koch-backed political group 60 Plus Association.<p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; line-height: 1.5;">The DeSantis and Gillum campaigns did not return requests for comment.</div></div><div class="layout-constrain--narrow" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 47.2222em; padding-left: 1em; padding-right: 1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="tags" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; border-top: 5px solid rgb(239, 243, 243); margin-bottom: 2em; padding-top: 1em;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear;">Tags: <a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/people/andrew-gillum/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Andrew Gillum</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/people/bernie-marcus/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Bernie Marcus</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/people/betsy-devos/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Betsy DeVos</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/people/charles-koch/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Charles koch</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/people/darwin-deason/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Darwin Deason</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/people/dick-devos/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Dick DeVos</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/people/foster-freiss/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Foster Freiss</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/people/jeb-bush/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Jeb Bush</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/people/john-childs/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">John Childs</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/people/miriam-adelson/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Miriam Adelson</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/people/rebekah-mercer/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Rebekah Mercer</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/people/richard-uihlein/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Richard Uihlein</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/people/ron-desantis/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Ron DeSantis</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/people/ronnie-cameron/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Ronnie Cameron</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/people/sheldon-adelson/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Sheldon Adelson</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/people/wayne-laufer/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Wayne Laufer</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/organizations/americans-for-prosperity/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Americans for Prosperity</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/organizations/americans-for-prosperity-action/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Americans for Prosperity Action</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/organizations/first-principles-fund/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">First Principles Fund</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/organizations/florida-facts/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Florida Facts</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/organizations/freedom-partners-action-fund/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Freedom Partners Action Fund</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/organizations/friends-of-ron-desantis/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Friends of Ron DeSantis</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/organizations/fund-for-floridas-future/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Fund for Florida's Future</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/organizations/georgia-pacific/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Georgia Pacific</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/organizations/koch-industries/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Koch Industries</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/organizations/republican-governors-association/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Republican Governors Association</a><a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/organizations/republican-party/" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition-duration: 0.2s; transition-property: background-color, border-color, box-shadow, color, opacity, text-shadow, transform, -webkit-transform; transition-timing-function: linear; background-color: transparent; outline-offset: 0.111111em; text-decoration-line: none;">Republican Party</a></div></div>=<a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18102018/florida-governor-election-gillum-desantis-environment-hurricane-toxic-algae-young-voters">https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18102018/florida-governor-election-gillum-desantis-environment-hurricane-toxic-algae-young-voters</a>=<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/hurricane-michael-downgraded-to-category-3-officials-warn-of-life-threatening-storm-surge" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Hurricane Michael</a> bears down on the Florida Panhandle, destroying structures and turning roads into rivers, politics is likely the last thing on most of the affected population's minds. But GOP gubernatorial candidate Rep. Ron DeSantis and the state Republican Party kept blasting negative ads over the airwaves anyway.Florida Republicans are still airing two ads in the hurricane strike zone, both of which attack Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, the Democratic nominee for governor. Making it even crasser, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAA4fotHcoU&feature=youtu.be&cs-from=79858357-4cb7-4455-ba2f-0784c51a4392" style="text-decoration-line: none;">both</a> of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICIeixyV_Cw&feature=youtu.be&cs-from=79858357-4cb7-4455-ba2f-0784c51a4392" style="text-decoration-line: none;">ads</a> proclaim Gillum "unfit to lead" because of the way he handled the aftermath of another hurricane.According to <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/10/10/negative-ads-florida-hurricane-889482" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Marc Caputo</a> of Politico, "It had once been considered taboo in Florida to run negative campaign attack ads as a hurricane batters the state. But no more."Attack ads against Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson and Gov. Rick Scott, who are battling each other in a close race for Senate, also <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/10/10/negative-ads-florida-hurricane-889482" style="text-decoration-line: none;">continued to air</a> in the strike zone. However, these ads were released by independent super PACs that do not, legally, coordinate with candidates. The anti-Gillum ads were approved by the DeSantis campaign and the state party.Facing criticism over their decision to still be broadcasting attack ads into the homes of people in mortal danger, the Florida Republican Party eventually backed down and agreed to suspend the ads.Gillum, whose city lies in the path of the hurricane, has spent his time looking after his constituents and coordinating with Scott:<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">On the phone with <a href="https://twitter.com/FLGovScott?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="text-decoration-line: none;">@FLGovScott</a> providing updates and continuing open lines of communication regarding <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MichaelTLH?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="text-decoration-line: none;">#MichaelTLH</a><a href="https://t.co/hKSZGz4s7V" style="text-decoration-line: none;">pic.twitter.com/hKSZGz4s7V</a>— Office of the Mayor (@MayorOfTLH) <a href="https://twitter.com/MayorOfTLH/status/1050099474801090562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="text-decoration-line: none;">October 10, 2018</a></blockquote>However, Gillum also had some critical words for the partisan politics of the situation on MSNBC."We can't recall a time where candidates for statewide office have not pulled down negative ads during hurricane season," he said. "You've got a whole region of our state, where folks are fleeing for their lives, anticipating what is a life-threatening event impacting this state. I again would encourage my opponent to just subside with the politics. We'll have plenty enough room — beyond this storm — to compete between our ideas. What we need now is for the state to come together to reduce our partisanship and to focus on this important storm impacting our state."https://www.alternet.org/election-03918/ron-desantis-steven-alembik-racism-barack-obama Ron DeSantis, the Republican nominee for governor of Florida, is once again forced to respond to a racial controversy, this time surrounding the actions of campaign benefactor Steve Alembik.Two weeks ago, Alembik, a prominent Boca Raton communications executive and supporter of President Donald Trump who has <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/world/others-fled-trump-mar-lago-this-group-wanted/Y3OcpZsPN6bkw2PpNyWhHI/" style="text-decoration-line: none;">organized events</a> at Mar-a-Lago, and who has given over $20,000 to DeSantis, threw a fit on Twitter and called former President Barack Obama the N-word.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Steven Alembik said he's not a racist, that he grew up in the 50s and guys just talked like this. But here he acknowledges he spoke in anger. He initially didn't want to delete the tweet, but realized he should <a href="https://t.co/nqgR9IkuGa" style="text-decoration-line: none;">pic.twitter.com/nqgR9IkuGa</a><div style="margin-bottom: 20px;">— Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarcACaputo/status/1042712327295066112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="text-decoration-line: none;">September 20, 2018</a></div></blockquote>In <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/20/ron-desantis-florida-racial-issues-830726" style="text-decoration-line: none;">conversation</a> with Politico, Alembik denied being a racist, complaining that it is just the way people talked when he was a kid and that black people can still say it. "So somebody like Chris Rock can get up onstage and use the word and there’s no problem? But some white guy says it and he’s a racist? Really?"On Wednesday, DeSantis initially tried to wave away any responsibility to comment, telling reporters, "We're not playing this game of any single person who says something on social media or does this or that, I can't do that." Later, however, his spokesman Stephen Lawson said, "We've said it before, we'll say it again: we adamantly denounce this sort of disgusting rhetoric."The campaign has also noted that the Friends of Ron DeSantis political committee returned $11,000 in political contributions. However, Alembik says that he himself asked for the refund because he had used the wrong bank account — and the campaign appears to be keeping another $2,000 in contributions from this year.The list of racial controversies DeSantis has had to respond to has grown rapidly.Immediately after winning the nomination in August, he drew outrage for saying Florida should not "<a href="https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/republican-candidate-ron-desantis-warns-florida-voters-not-monkey-electing-black" style="text-decoration-line: none;">monkey this up</a>" by electing Democratic opponent Andrew Gillum, the first African-American major party nominee for governor in Florida history. Soon after, he was outed as an administrator of a <a href="https://www.snopes.com/news/2018/08/31/ron-desantis-leaves-racist-facebook-group-says-unknowingly-member/" style="text-decoration-line: none;">racist conspiracy theory group</a> on Facebook, which he promptly withdrew from, and faced questions over his speeches at events hosted by <a href="https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/ron-desantis-david-horowitz-race-war" style="text-decoration-line: none;">anti-immigrant extremists</a> and <a href="https://www.alternet.org/election-03918/ron-desantis-act-america-refugees-speech" style="text-decoration-line: none;">hate groups</a>.There is only so much racism that can happen around a candidate without the candidate bearing some responsibility for the company he keeps.update?
<a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/ron-desantis-appearances-at-horowitz-events-even-worse-the-closer-you-look/">http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/ron-desantis-appearances-at-horowitz-events-even-worse-the-closer-you-look/</a>=<a href="https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/ron-desantis-david-horowitz-race-war">https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/ron-desantis-david-horowitz-race-war</a> Sunday, the Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/gop-candidate-for-fla-governor-spoke-at-racially-charged-events/2018/09/09/c6d3a63c-b114-11e8-a810-4d6b627c3d5d_story.html?utm_term=.09353b58f290" style="text-decoration-line: none;">detailed</a> Florida GOP gubernatorial candidate Rep. Ron DeSantis' ties to an extremist group founded by far-right activist David Horowitz.According to the Post, DeSantis was a speaker in at least four "Restoration Weekend" conferences hosted by the David Horowitz Freedom Center (DHFC) in 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017 in Palm Beach, Florida, and Charleston, South Carolina.At the 2015 engagement in Charleston, DeSantis <a href="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/ron-desantis-spoke-at-event-with-racist-sexist-talks" style="text-decoration-line: none;">said</a>, "I just want to say what an honor it’s been to be here to speak ... David has done such great work and I’ve been an admirer. I’ve been to these conferences in the past but I’ve been a big admirer of an organization that shoots straight, tells the American people the truth and is standing up for the right thing."<div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-bottom: 20px;">At the DHFC events, DeSantis appeared alongside such figures as Milo Yiannopoulos, the former Breitbart writer who called feminism "<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/27/milo-yiannopoulos-has-huge-support-in-australia-men-must-call-him-out" style="text-decoration-line: none;">cancer</a>" and <a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oJhHwspZGcg" style="text-decoration-line: none;">defended statutory rape</a>; James Damore, the author of the "<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jan/11/discriminate-conservatives-james-damore-suing-google-intolerance" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Google memo</a>" that called women genetically inferior at computing jobs; and Charlie Kirk, the president of Turning Point USA, a far-right youth group that is engineering <a href="https://psmag.com/education/the-right-wing-plot-to-take-over-student-governments" style="text-decoration-line: none;">takeovers of student elections</a> on college campuses.Horowitz himself, once a prominent member of the New Left movement in the 1960s, has gone on to preach an <a href="https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/individual/david-horowitz" style="text-decoration-line: none;">ideology of hate</a> against immigrants, Muslims, and people of color. He has said the Palestinian people are <a href="https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/263450/its-time-designate-black-lives-matter-terrorist-frontpage-editors" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Nazis</a>, compared Black Lives Matter to the <a href="https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/263450/its-time-designate-black-lives-matter-terrorist-frontpage-editors" style="text-decoration-line: none;">KKK and al-Qaeda</a>, <a href="https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/david-horowitz-knows-obama-is-a-muslim-because-he-hates-america-so-much/" style="text-decoration-line: none;">claimed</a> former President Barack Obama was "inviting the terrorists to behead more Americans," said that blacks "<a href="https://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=24317" style="text-decoration-line: none;">would still be slaves</a>" if not for "the sacrifices of white soldiers," and argued that the "<a href="https://www.newsweek.com/ron-desantis-spoke-event-hosted-white-race-war-theorist-1113110" style="text-decoration-line: none;">real race war</a>" in America is against white people.According to the <a href="https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/individual/david-horowitz" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Southern Poverty Law Center</a>, Horowitz has also used his online periodical, FrontPage Mag, to promote material from American Renaissance, a white supremacist publication, arguing that its founder Jared Taylor is "no more racist ... than Jesse Jackson and the NAACP."DeSantis, a <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/ron-desantis-trump-ad-704926/" style="text-decoration-line: none;">devoted supporter</a> of President Donald Trump, has spent the last few weeks facing controversy for his statement that Florida should not "<a href="https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/republican-candidate-ron-desantis-warns-florida-voters-not-monkey-electing-black" style="text-decoration-line: none;">monkey this up</a>" by electing Andrew Gillum, his Democratic opponent and the first African-American major party nominee for governor of Florida. He was also discovered to be the administrator of a <a href="https://www.snopes.com/news/2018/08/31/ron-desantis-leaves-racist-facebook-group-says-unknowingly-member/" style="text-decoration-line: none;">racist Facebook group</a>, which he claims he was added to without his knowledge.
-fla hit squad on mueller, links to guccifer?!=Conservative group Citizens United gave at least $13,500 to four of the dissidents in the third quarter of this year -- $5,000 apiece to Amash and DeSantis on Sept. 30 and $2,400 to Rep. <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00030752&cycle=2014">Jeff Duncan</a> (R-S.C.) on Sept. 24 -- the day Duncan <a target="blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/RepJeffDuncan/posts/654961637854925">publicly cheered</a> Cruz's quasi-filibuster attempt to stop the Senate from considering a budget bill that didn't defund the Affordable Care Act. The group also gave $1,000 to Gohmert on July 3. <a href="https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/here-are-5-most-disturbing-facts-about-florida-republican-ron-desantis">https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/here-are-5-most-disturbing-facts-about-florida-republican-ron-desantis</a>
In Florida’s August 28 gubernatorial primaries, Democrats and Republicans both went with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/28/us/politics/florida-arizona-election-results.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;">non-establishment candidates</a>. Democrats, in a major upset, <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/as-governor-could-andrew-gillum-set-floridas-cities-free/" style="text-decoration-line: none;">nominated Andrew Gillum</a>, the left-of-center mayor of Tallahassee and an ally of Sen. Bernie Sanders (who campaigned for him) over centrist establishment pick Gwen Graham (daughter of former Florida Gov. Bob Graham). Meanwhile, on the Republican side, the nominee was Rep. Ron DeSantis, a Tea Party favorite, member of the House Freedom Caucus and far-right supporter of President Donald Trump (who has endorsed DeSantis). The Florida gubernatorial race could become a referendum on Sanders’ ideas versus Trump’s ideas, and DeSantis is way beyond conservative—he is extreme.Here are five of the most disturbing things about DeSantis.1. DeSantis Spoke at David Horowitz’ Anti-Islam Restoration Weekend<div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-bottom: 20px;">Rhetorically, some neocons draw a distinction between radical Islam and non-radical Islam; President George W. Bush denounced al-Qaeda as terrorists who “<a href="https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/infocus/ramadan/islam.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;">hijacked a great religion</a>.” But David Horowitz (who runs FrontPage Magazine) considers the entire religion inherently violent, terroristic, anti-Semitic and anti-Christian—and many establishment Republicans have shied away from his annual event Restoration Weekend, which has attracted the wingnut likes of Islamophobe Pamela Gellar and Milo Yiannopoulos (formerly senior editor at Breitbart News). But DeSantis had no problem speaking at the event, where he carried on about “radical Islamic terror,” encouraged a more aggressive policy against Iran and swore to protect “<a href="https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/ron-desantis-spoke-next-to-bannon-yiannopoulos-in-2017-10252326" style="text-decoration-line: none;">western civilization</a>”—which, among white nationalists, is code for “white civilization.”2. DeSantis Moderated Racist Alt-Right Facebook GroupOne can tell a lot about politicians by the company they keep, and DeSantis’ company has not only included Horowitz’ Restoration Weekend, but also, an <a href="https://splinternews.com/ron-desantis-moderated-a-facebook-group-full-of-racists-1828704293" style="text-decoration-line: none;">alt-right Facebook group</a> that calls itself Tea Party, has about 97,000 members and has also been full of racist, anti-immigrant and anti-Islam comments. The Facebook group, which DeSantis has moderated, is not establishment Republican by any means—and its other administrators have ranged from Corey Stewart (the Virginia senatorial candidate who has been praising Confederate Army figures like Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson) to <a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2018/07/06/arizona-senate-candidate-kelli-ward-and-her-husband-are-admins-racist-conspiracy-facebook-group/220608" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Kelli Ward</a> (who lost to establishment pick Martha McSally in Arizona’s recent GOP senatorial primary). The late Arizona Sen. John McCain was often called a RINO (Republican In Name Only) in that group, and in a 2016 post, far-right activist Michael Ward (Kelli Ward’s husband) claimed that McCain was a “strong supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood. 3. DeSantis Hopes to Throw 1.7 Million Floridians of[f] Health CareIn Florida, more than <a href="https://www.wlrn.org/post/putnam-desantis-campaign-against-obamacare" style="text-decoration-line: none;">1.7 million people</a> obtained health insurance for 2018 via the federal exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act of 2010, a.k.a. Obamacare—and DeSantis would like to take health insurance away from every single one of them. As a member of the Freedom Caucus, DeSantis has stressed that he doesn’t consider health care a right, pushed for total repeal of the ACA and taken the position that if the poor cannot afford health care, that’s their problem.4. DeSantis Thinks Even Paul Ryan Is Too Immigrant-FriendlyAfter Gillum won Florida’s Democratic gubernatorial nomination, DeSantis asserted that Floridians shouldn’t “monkey this up” by electing him in November. DeSantis’ campaign has denied that the comment was a <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/ron-desantis-gets-slammed-for-telling-voters-not-to-monkey-it-up-and-vote-for-his-black-gubernatorial-opponent-in-florida-2018-08-29" style="text-decoration-line: none;">racist dog whistle</a>, asserting that by “monkey this up,” he meant screw this up or mess this up. But DeSantis has a long history of associating with white nationalists, whether it’s Restoration Weekend or the Tea Party Facebook group that Stewart and Kelli Ward have been involved in. And DeSantis is such an <a href="https://www.news-journalonline.com/news/20180618/immigration-hardliner-ron-desantis-id-keep-family-together" style="text-decoration-line: none;">anti-immigrant hardliner</a> that he has even accused House Speaker Paul Ryan and Adam Putnam (who he defeated in Florida’s GOP gubernatorial primary) of being soft on illegal immigration. When Ryan was crafting an immigration bill in June, DeSantis declared, “I am negative towards Ryan’s bill. I think it’s a really big amnesty.”5. DeSantis Is an Unapologetic TheocratTo DeSantis, there should be no separation of church and state. He is on very friendly terms with the Christian Right, favors restricting abortion as much as he possibly can in Florida and has supported <a href="https://www.ontheissues.org/FL/Ron_DeSantis_Civil_Rights.htm" style="text-decoration-line: none;">anti-gay measures</a> such as the so-called First Amendment Defense Act (which was sponsored by Mike Lee in the Senate and Raul Labrador in the House of Representatives).fla hit squadhttps://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/28/mueller-investigation-republicans-russia-242108<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 344.859px 1em 0px; font-family: Georgia, Times, " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" serif="serif" line-height="line-height" em="em" font-size="font-size" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) is pushing an amendment to severely curtail special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 344.859px 1em 0px; font-family: Georgia, Times, " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" serif="serif" line-height="line-height" em="em" font-size="font-size" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">DeSantis has put forward a provision that would halt funding for Mueller’s probe six months after the amendment’s passage. It also would prohibit Mueller from investigating matters that occurred before June 2015, when Trump launched his presidential campaign.

The amendment is one of hundreds filed to a government spending package the House is expected to consider when it returns next week from the August recess. The provision is not guaranteed a vote on the House floor; the House Rules Committee has wide leeway to discard amendments it considers out of order.

In a statement, DeSantis said the order appointing Mueller as special counsel "didn't identify a crime to be investigated and practically invites a fishing expedition."<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 344.859px 1em 0px; font-family: Georgia, Times, " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" serif="serif" line-height="line-height" em="em" font-size="font-size" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">"Congress should use its spending power to clarify the scope and limit the duration of this investigation," he explained. Deputy Attorney General Rod "Rosenstein has said that the DOJ doesn't conduct fishing expeditions; the corollary to this admonition should be that Congress will not fund a fishing expedition."<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 344.859px 1em 0px; font-family: Georgia, Times, " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" serif="serif" line-height="line-height" em="em" font-size="font-size" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">Several House Democrats are pushing amendments to protect the Mueller probe.<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 344.859px 1em 0px; font-family: Georgia, Times, " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" serif="serif" line-height="line-height" em="em" font-size="font-size" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">For instance, Rep. Nita Lowey of New York, ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, proposed a measure to prohibit the Justice Department from obstructing Mueller’s work.<div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">=</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Investigative reporter Michael Isikoff of Yahoo News dropped a <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mueller-probe-outgrows-witch-hunt-phase-100045988.html&source=gmail&ust=1514530040235000&usg=AFQjCNFFAUeXwf1jwOvPDnusMlYE96eyDw" href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mueller-probe-outgrows-witch-hunt-phase-100045988.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none;">small bombshell</a> this quiet holiday week that hasn't really exploded yet but might just explain the GOP's recent full-court press to discredit the FBI and special counsel Robert Mueller's team. Rep. Francis Rooney, a Florida Republican, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.cnn.com/2017/12/27/politics/francis-rooney-fbi-russia-cnntv/index.html&source=gmail&ust=1514530040235000&usg=AFQjCNHDxTmT5QlRwe0CU2NtJMQHZ9dnDA" href="https://www.cnn.com/2017/12/27/politics/francis-rooney-fbi-russia-cnntv/index.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none;">explained:</a></div><blockquote style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">I would like to see the directors of those agencies [the DOJ and FBI] purge it and say, "Look, we’ve got a lot of great agents, a lot of great lawyers here." Those are the people to see and know the good work’s being done, not these people who are kind of the deep state.</blockquote>On Wednesday, Rep. Ron DeSantis, another Florida Republican, went on "Fox & Friends" and backed up his colleague's sentiments, saying, "You look at a guy like Peter Strzok [the FBI agent demoted for sending derogatory texts about many politicians including Trump]. If he’s gonna say that it’s his job as an FBI to prevent a certain candidate from getting elected. ... Anyone who turns up in that situation, I think they should get another line of work.”For what it's worth, Strzok is a counterintelligence agent who appeared concerned that the "certain candidate" might be acting as an agent of a foreign adversary, which was important information the nation didn't have before the election. In any case, from what we can gather, these Republican congressmen identify nefarious "deep state" actors as those who cannot swear that they are not now and have never been a... Democrat.As one can imagine, the use of the word "purge" brought forth some rather unfortunate historical images. We haven't seen evidence that they plan the usual accompanying show trials, but give them time. Republicans in Congress are working feverishly to prepare hearings on the Hillary Clinton "Russian uranium email treason" hearings so there's a chance we'll see some kind of facsimile before 2018.The hysteria that's now raging seems a bit of an outsized reaction for this particular phase of the scandal, especially considering that Mueller actually did remove the offending "deep-staters." Isikoff may have come across a different motivation than simple loyalty to President Trump. <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mueller-probe-outgrows-witch-hunt-phase-100045988.html&source=gmail&ust=1514530040235000&usg=AFQjCNFFAUeXwf1jwOvPDnusMlYE96eyDw" href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mueller-probe-outgrows-witch-hunt-phase-100045988.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">He wrote:</a><blockquote style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">In just the last few weeks, his prosecutors have begun questioning Republican National Committee staffers about the party digital operation that worked with the Trump campaign to target voters in key swing states. They are seeking to determine if the joint effort was related to the activities of Russian trolls and bots aimed at influencing the American electorate, according to two of the sources.</blockquote>It would not be surprising if certain Republicans were to become a bit nervous when the investigation into Russian interference turned in that particular direction. It's flown under the radar since the election, but the fact is that it wasn't only the Democratic National Committee and John Podesta's email accounts that were hacked. The intelligence community identified the same group of Russian-affiliated hackers as behind the hacking of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.I've been <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.salon.com/2017/03/03/how-much-did-russian-hacking-affect-congressional-races-and-how-deeply-was-the-gop-involved/&source=gmail&ust=1514530040235000&usg=AFQjCNEjVYdm6PuM8Z8L5wLg7jlZ5cUJtg" href="https://www.salon.com/2017/03/03/how-much-did-russian-hacking-affect-congressional-races-and-how-deeply-was-the-gop-involved/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">intrigued by this aspect </a>of the Russian hacking story since the New York Times published an early report about it back in November of 2016. Recall that at first the hacker known as Guccifer 2.0 released personal information that was used to intimidate Democratic candidates, but then he/she/they suddenly became more sophisticated and targeted, dumping valuable tactical information:<blockquote style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The seats that Guccifer 2.0 targeted in the document dumps were hardly random: They were some of the most competitive House races in the country.</blockquote>People have wondered ever since if the hacker(s) might have gotten some expert assistance.Perhaps it's a coincidence that so much of the information in question was republished on a website called HelloFLA by <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=//www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/fl-reg-russia-hacker-guccifer-connection-20170525-story.html&source=gmail&ust=1514530040235000&usg=AFQjCNGfRjLvcG6B93MUO5pSMJYDj7VbJg" href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/fl-reg-russia-hacker-guccifer-connection-20170525-story.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">a Florida Republican</a> and former congressional staffer named Aaron Nevins, who was connected to Trump associate and longtime political operative Roger Stone. It could be completely random that among the core group of Mueller antagonists, those calling the probe a "coup d'état" and demanding purges of members of the "deep state" are Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who proposed that Mueller's funding be cut off, and the aforementioned Rep. Francis Rooney, who's been all over TV talking about purging the FBI.Indeed, as journalist Marcy Wheeler pointed out a while back, one of <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=//www.politico.com/story/2017/08/28/mueller-investigation-republicans-russia-242108&source=gmail&ust=1514530040235000&usg=AFQjCNFVP_ItV7KdO9m3Z_QPA_ZUH2FkDg" href="https://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/28/mueller-investigation-republicans-russia-242108" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">the ringleaders</a> of the movement to discredit the Department of Justice and Robert Mueller, Rep. DeSantis, directly benefited from Guccifer 2.0’s leak to Nevins after the latter published five documents regarding the DCCC’s recruitment of DeSantis’ Democratic opponent, George Pappas. <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-adviser-roger-stone-says-talk-with-online-entity-was-benign-1506433880&source=gmail&ust=1514530040235000&usg=AFQjCNEtNdRoHZrKO2uWsr8ZLAbcLqrtMw" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-adviser-roger-stone-says-talk-with-online-entity-was-benign-1506433880" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">According to The Wall Street Journal</a>, Guccifer 2.0 even sent a link with a HelloFLA article directly to Roger Stone, who told reporters he didn’t forward the hacked material to anyone -- the answer to a question nobody asked,Donald Trump may think their vociferous attacks on Mueller are all about loyalty to him personally. After all, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=//florida%2520reps.%2520matt%2520gaetz%2520and%2520ron%2520desantis%2520hitched%2520a%2520ride%2520on%2520air%2520force%2520one%2520with%2520president%2520trump%2520to%2520pensacola%252C%2520according%2520to%2520the%2520white%2520house./&source=gmail&ust=1514530040235000&usg=AFQjCNFMsbQmS_dIlQ1L3EuH_Xf1oAHXGQ" href="https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2017/12/08/gaetz-desantis-fly-with-trump-to-pensacola/" target="blank" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" text-decoration-line="text-decoration-line" none="none" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">this group all flew down to Florida together on Air Force One</a> earlier this month. But these guys have skin in the game now and may very well be caught up in the maw of the Russia investigation themselves.If Mueller's team is looking into the digital operation and Roger Stone's interactions with Guccifer 2.0, as one would expect them to do, then these shenanigans in Florida are also coming into view. That may explain why this little circle of Sunshine State GOP congressmen are so anxious to shut him down.They might not be the only ones. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/13/us/politics/house-democrats-hacking-dccc.html?r=0" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">According to The New York Times</a>, material from the DCCC hack was first used by Miami-area Democrat Joe Garcia, a former congressman, to win a tight primary race. Then "the National Republican Campaign Committee and a second Republican group with ties to the House speaker, Paul Ryan, turned to the hacked material" to undermine Garcia and re-elect Rep. Carlos Curbelo, the Republican incumbent.It should be noted that there were some candidates who refused to use the hacked material against their opponents. This gang of Florida Republicans who are now so loudly attacking the FBI for its supposedly unethical behavior were not among them. As we all know, neither was Donald "I love WikiLeaks" Trump.digby<div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></div><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/robert-mercer">https://www.desmogblog.com/robert-mercer</a> 5400$https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantisRonald Dion "Ron" DeSantis (born September 14, 1978) is an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States" title="United States" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">American</a> politician who has been the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives" title="United States House of Representatives" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">United States Representative</a> for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida%27s_6th_congressional_district" title="Florida's 6th congressional district" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Florida's 6th congressional district</a> since 2013. A member of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party(United_States)" title="Republican Party (United States)" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Republican Party</a>, he ran in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_election_in_Florida,2016" title="United States Senate election in Florida, 2016" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Florida's 2016 U.S. Senate election</a>; however, DeSantis withdrew from the race following incumbent Senator <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Rubio" title="Marco Rubio" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Marco Rubio</a>'s announcement that he would seek reelection to the Senate, reversing his initial pledge not to run, on June 22, 2016.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-DeSantisRuns-1" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[1]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-DeSantisRunsTwo-2" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[2]</a>After Rubio's decision to re-enter the U.S. Senate race, DeSantis opted to run for re-election to his U.S. House seat in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida%27s_6th_congressional_district" title="Florida's 6th congressional district" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Florida's 6th congressional district</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-3" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[3]</a><div id="toc" class="toc" style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); padding: 7px; display: table; zoom: 1;"><div id="toctitle" style="direction: ltr; text-align: center;"><h2 style="background: none; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border: 0px; display: inline; line-height: 1.3;">Contents</h2>  [<a role="button" tabindex="0" id="togglelink" style="background: none; cursor: pointer;">hide</a>] </div><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0.3em 0px; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#Early_life_and_education" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">1Early life and education</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#Military_service" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">2Military service</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#Writing_and_teaching" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">3Writing and teaching</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-4" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#U.S.House_of_Representatives" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">4U.S. House of Representatives</a><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#2012_election" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">4.12012 election</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-6" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#Committee_assignments" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">4.2Committee assignments</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-7" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#Legislation" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">4.3Legislation</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-8" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#2016_U.S.Senate_candidacy" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">52016 U.S. Senate candidacy</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-9" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#Policy_positions" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">6Policy positions</a><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-10" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#National_security" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">6.1National security</a><ul style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-11" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#Iran" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">6.1.1Iran</a></li><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-12" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#Cuba" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">6.1.2Cuba</a></li><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-13" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#Israel" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">6.1.3Israel</a></li><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-14" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#Islamic_terrorism" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">6.1.4Islamic terrorism</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-15" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#Veterans_affairs" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">6.2Veterans affairs</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-16" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#Healthcare" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">6.3Healthcare</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-17" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#Immigration" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">6.4Immigration</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-18" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#Size_and_scope_of_government" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">6.5Size and scope of government</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-19" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#Economic_issues" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">6.6Economic issues</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-20" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#Social_issues" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">6.7Social issues</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-21" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#Second_Amendment" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">6.8Second Amendment</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-22" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#Education" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">6.9Education</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-23" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#Personal_life" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">7Personal life</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-24" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#References" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">8References</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-25" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#External_links" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">9External links</a></li></ul></div><h2 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); line-height: 1.3;">Early life and education[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ron_DeSantis&action=edit&section=1&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Early life and education" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h2>Ron DeSantis was born in 1978 in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacksonville,Florida" title="Jacksonville, Florida" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Jacksonville, Florida</a>. In 1991 he was a member of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_League" class="mw-redirect" title="Little League" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Little League</a> team from Dunedin National that made it to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_League_World_Series" title="Little League World Series" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Little League World Series</a> in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williamsport,Pennsylvania" title="Williamsport, Pennsylvania" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Williamsport, Pennsylvania</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-4" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[4]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-5" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[5]</a>He graduated from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunedin_High_School" title="Dunedin High School" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Dunedin High School</a> in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunedin,Florida" title="Dunedin, Florida" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Dunedin</a> in 1997. He pursued his higher education at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yale_University" title="Yale University" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Yale University</a>, where he was captain of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yale_baseball_team" class="mw-redirect" title="Yale baseball team" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">varsity baseball team</a> in his senior year. He was also a member of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phi" title="Phi" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Phi</a> chapter of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_Kappa_Epsilon" title="Delta Kappa Epsilon" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Delta Kappa Epsilon</a> at Yale University, the same fraternity as five former U.S. Presidents including <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W.Bush" title="George W. Bush" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">George W. Bush</a>. He graduated <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_cum_laude" class="mw-redirect" title="Magna cum laude" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">magna cum laude</a> with a B.A. in History in 2001. He earned a J.D. from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_Law_School" title="Harvard Law School" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Harvard Law School</a> cum laude in 2005.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-6" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[6]</a><h2 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); line-height: 1.3;">Military service[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ron_DeSantis&action=edit&section=2&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Military service" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h2>DeSantis was sworn into the Judge Advocate General Corps of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.Navy" class="mw-redirect" title="U.S. Navy" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">U.S. Navy</a> at the U.S. Naval Reserve Center in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas,Texas" class="mw-redirect" title="Dallas, Texas" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Dallas, Texas</a>, in 2004 while still a student at Harvard Law School, completing <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Justice_School" title="Naval Justice School" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">U.S. Naval Justice School</a> in 2005. Later that year, he received orders from Trial Service Office Command South East at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Station_Mayport" title="Naval Station Mayport" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Naval Station Mayport</a>, Florida, as a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_justice" title="Military justice" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">military prosecutor</a>. In 2006, he was promoted to Lieutenant (O-3). He worked for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_Task_Force_Guantanamo" title="Joint Task Force Guantanamo" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Joint Task Force-Guantanamo Commander</a> (JTF-GTMO), working directly with detainees at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guantanamo_Bay_detention_camp" title="Guantanamo Bay detention camp" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Guantanamo Bay Joint Detention Facility</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-7" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[7]</a>In 2007, DeSantis reported to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Special_Warfare_Command" class="mw-redirect" title="Naval Special Warfare Command" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Naval Special Warfare Command Group</a> in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronado,California" title="Coronado, California" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Coronado, California</a>, where he was assigned to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SEAL_Team_One" class="mw-redirect" title="SEAL Team One" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">SEAL Team One</a> and deployed to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_War_of_2003" class="mw-redirect" title="Iraq War of 2003" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Iraq</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-farrington-8" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[8]</a>with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_troop_surge" class="mw-redirect" title="Iraq troop surge" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">troop surge</a> as the Legal Advisor to the SEAL Commander, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Operations_Task_Force" title="Special Operations Task Force" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Special Operations Task Force-West</a> in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallujah" title="Fallujah" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Fallujah</a>.He returned to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CONUS" class="mw-redirect" title="CONUS" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">CONUS</a> in April 2008, at which time he was reassigned to the Naval Region Legal Service. He was appointed by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.Department_of_Justice" class="mw-redirect" title="U.S. Department of Justice" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">U.S. Department of Justice</a> to serve as a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_prosecutor" class="mw-redirect" title="Federal prosecutor" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">federal prosecutor</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-farrington-8" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[8]</a> at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.Attorney_for_the_Middle_District_of_Florida" class="mw-redirect" title="U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Florida</a>.DeSantis was assigned as a Trial Defense Counsel until his honorable discharge from active duty in February 2010. He concurrently accepted a Reserve commission as a Lieutenant, Judge Advocate General Corps, in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Navy_Reserve" class="mw-redirect" title="US Navy Reserve" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">US Navy Reserve</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-wsj-9" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[9]</a> He was awarded the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze_Star_Medal" title="Bronze Star Medal" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Bronze Star Medal</a> and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_Campaign_Medal" title="Iraq Campaign Medal" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Iraq Campaign Medal</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-10" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[10]</a><h2 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); line-height: 1.3;">Writing and teaching[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ron_DeSantis&action=edit&section=3&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Writing and teaching" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h2>He authored a book entitled Dreams From Our Founding Fathers: First Principles in the Age of Obama, which was published in 2011.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-wsj-9" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[9]</a> He has taught <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniform_Code_of_Military_Justice" title="Uniform Code of Military Justice" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">U.S. Military Law</a> at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Coastal_School_of_Law" title="Florida Coastal School of Law" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Florida Coastal School of Law</a> in Jacksonville.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-11" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[11]</a> His writing has appeared in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Review" title="National Review" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">National Review</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Washington_Times" title="The Washington Times" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">The Washington Times</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_American_Spectator" title="The American Spectator" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">The American Spectator</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Events" title="Human Events" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Human Events</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Thinker" title="American Thinker" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">American Thinker</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-wsj-9" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[9]</a><h2 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); line-height: 1.3;">U.S. House of Representatives[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ron_DeSantis&action=edit&section=4&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: U.S. House of Representatives" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h2><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">2012 election[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ron_DeSantis&action=edit&section=5&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: 2012 election" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3><div role="note" class="hatnote" style="font-style: italic; padding-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">See also: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Florida,2012#District_6" title="United States House of Representatives elections in Florida, 2012" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">United States House of Representatives elections in Florida, 2012 § District 6</a></div>Redistricting left <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida%27s_6th_congressional_district" title="Florida's 6th congressional district" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Florida's 6th congressional district</a> without an incumbent, and DeSantis chose to run for the open seat. He won the six-candidate Republican primary with 39% of the vote, with the runner-up, State Representative <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Costello" title="Fred Costello" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Fred Costello</a>, obtaining 23%.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-12" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[12]</a> In the November general election, DeSantis defeated Democrat <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heather_Beaven" class="mw-redirect" title="Heather Beaven" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Heather Beaven</a> by 57%-43%, with majorities in all four counties.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-13" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[13]</a><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Committee assignments[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ron_DeSantis&action=edit&section=6&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Committee assignments" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>Prior to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/114th_United_States_Congress" title="114th United States Congress" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">114th United States Congress</a>, DeSantis was named the Chairman of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Oversight_Subcommittee_on_National_Security" title="United States House Oversight Subcommittee on National Security" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Subcommittee on National Security</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-14" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[14]</a><ul style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" a="A" csvg="Csvg" http="http" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="cx" cy="cy" r="r" fill="fill" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Foreign_Affairs" title="United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Committee on Foreign Affairs</a><ul style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" a="A" csvg="Csvg" http="http" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="cx" cy="cy" r="r" fill="fill" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Foreign_Affairs_Subcommittee_on_the_Middle_East_and_South_Asia" class="mw-redirect" title="United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Foreign_Affairs_Subcommittee_on_the_Western_Hemisphere" title="United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere</a></li></ul></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_the_Judiciary" title="United States House Committee on the Judiciary" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Committee on the Judiciary</a><ul style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" a="A" csvg="Csvg" http="http" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="cx" cy="cy" r="r" fill="fill" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Judiciary_Subcommittee_on_the_Constitution_and_Civil_Justice" title="United States House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Judiciary_Subcommittee_on_Courts,Intellectual_Property_and_the_Internet" title="United States House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet</a></li></ul></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Oversight_and_Government_Reform" title="United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Committee on Oversight and Government Reform</a><ul style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" c="C" fxml="Fxml" version="version" d="D" encoding="encoding" utf-8="UTF-8" f="F" e="E" a="A" csvg="Csvg" http="http" fwww.w3.org="Fwww.w3.org" f2000="F2000" fsvg="Fsvg" width="width" height="height" ccircle="Ccircle" cx="cx" cy="cy" r="r" fill="fill" xmlns="xmlns" xmlns:data="data"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Oversight_Subcommittee_on_Federal_Workforce,U.S.Postal_Service_and_the_Census" class="mw-redirect" title="United States House Oversight Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and the Census" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and the Census</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Oversight_Subcommittee_on_Economic_Growth,Job_Creation_and_Regulatory_Affairs" class="mw-redirect" title="United States House Oversight Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job Creation and Regulatory Affairs" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job Creation and Regulatory Affairs</a></li></ul></li></ul><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Legislation[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ron_DeSantis&action=edit&section=7&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Legislation" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>On January 29, 2014, DeSantis introduced into the House the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faithful_Execution_of_the_Law_Act_of_2014(H.R.3973;113th_Congress)" class="mw-redirect" title="Faithful Execution of the Law Act of 2014 (H.R. 3973; 113th Congress)" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Faithful Execution of the Law Act of 2014 (H.R. 3973; 113th Congress)</a>, a bill that would direct the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Justice" title="United States Department of Justice" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">United States Department of Justice</a> to report to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congress" title="United States Congress" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">United States Congress</a> whenever any <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_federal_agencies" class="mw-redirect" title="List of United States federal agencies" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">federal agency</a> refrains from enforcing laws or regulations for any reason.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-3973cbo-15" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[15]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-3972sum-16" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[16]</a> In the report, the government would have to explain why it had decided not to enforce that law.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-HtargetsObamalawEnf-17" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[17]</a> DeSantis spoke in favor of the bill, arguing that "President Obama has not only failed to uphold several of our nation's laws, he has vowed to continue to do so in order to enact his unpopular agenda... The American people deserve to know exactly which laws the Obama administration is refusing to enforce and why."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-HtargetsObamalawEnf-17" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[17]</a>In 2013, DeSantis signed a pledge sponsored by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americans_for_Prosperity" title="Americans for Prosperity" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Americans for Prosperity</a> promising to vote against any global warming legislation that would raise taxes.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-18" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[18]</a>In 2013, DeSantis spoke at a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ripon_Society" title="Ripon Society" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Ripon Society</a> forum and addressed the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IRS_targeting_controversy" title="IRS targeting controversy" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">IRS targeting controversy</a> and tax reform. DeSantis echoed his colleagues on understanding the main part of government, saying: "Part of having a constitutional government is that you have an accountable government." He went on to say that he "think(s) we make a huge mistake if we try to generate political outcomes, thinking that it will help us politically or that we're trying to bring somebody down. I think it’s necessary if we are just trying to find the truth and hold individuals accountable. I think we need to see more of that in this government."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-19" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[19]</a><h2 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); line-height: 1.3;">2016 U.S. Senate candidacy[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ron_DeSantis&action=edit&section=8&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: 2016 U.S. Senate candidacy" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h2><div role="note" class="hatnote" style="font-style: italic; padding-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Main article: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_election_in_Florida,2016" title="United States Senate election in Florida, 2016" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">United States Senate election in Florida, 2016</a></div>On May 6, 2015, DeSantis announced that he was running for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate" title="United States Senate" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">United States Senate</a> seat held by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Rubio" title="Marco Rubio" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Marco Rubio</a>, who initially did not file to run for re-election due to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Rubio_presidential_campaign,2016" title="Marco Rubio presidential campaign, 2016" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">his bid</a> for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_United_States" title="President of the United States" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">U.S. presidency</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-20" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[20]</a> DeSantis was endorsed by the fiscally conservative <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Club_for_Growth" title="Club for Growth" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Club for Growth</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-21" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[21]</a> DeSantis withdrew from the race following incumbent Senator <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Rubio" title="Marco Rubio" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Marco Rubio</a>'s announcement that he would seek reelection to the Senate, reversing his initial pledge not to run, on June 22, 2016.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-DeSantisRuns-1" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[1]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-DeSantisRunsTwo-2" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[2]</a> After dropping his U.S. Senate bid, DeSantis filed to run for re-election to his U.S. House seat.<h2 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); line-height: 1.3;">Policy positions[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ron_DeSantis&action=edit&section=9&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Policy positions" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h2><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">National security[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ron_DeSantis&action=edit&section=10&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: National security" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>DeSantis believes that "Providing security against foreign danger is the preeminent responsibility of the federal government."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-22" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[22]</a> DeSantis's 2016 U.S. Senate bid was endorsed by former <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Ambassador_to_the_United_Nations" title="United States Ambassador to the United Nations" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">United States Ambassador to the United Nations</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_R.Bolton" title="John R. Bolton" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">John R. Bolton</a>, who cited DeSantis's support of a strong national defense, opposition to the Iran nuclear framework, defense of Israel, and criticism of the Obama administration's Cuba policy as reasons for the endorsement.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-23" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[23]</a><h4 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Iran[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ron_DeSantis&action=edit&section=11&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Iran" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h4>DeSantis opposed the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_nuclear_deal_framework" title="Iran nuclear deal framework" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Iran nuclear deal framework</a>, calling it "a bad deal that will significantly degrade our national security."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-24" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[24]</a> DeSantis said "the Iran deal gives Ayatollah Khamenei exactly what he wants: billions of dollars in sanctions relief, validation of the Iranian nuclear program, and the ability to stymie inspections."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-25" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[25]</a>During a line of questioning, DeSantis told Secretary of State <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kerry" title="John Kerry" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">John Kerry</a> that the executive branch had a legal obligation to provide Congress with the details behind any side deals made between world leaders and Iran.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-26" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[26]</a> DeSantis has criticized President Barack Obama for what he said was better treatment of Cuba's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raul_Castro" class="mw-redirect" title="Raul Castro" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Raul Castro</a> and Iran's Ayatollah <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Khamenei" title="Ali Khamenei" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Ali Khamenei</a> than of Israel's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Netanyahu" title="Benjamin Netanyahu" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Benjamin Netanyahu</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-save-27" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[27]</a><h4 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Cuba[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ron_DeSantis&action=edit&section=12&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Cuba" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h4>In 2015, DeSantis introduced the Guantanamo Bay Recidivism Prevention Act, which would cut off foreign aid to countries that receive detainees if they show back up on the terrorism recidivism list.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-28" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[28]</a> DeSantis opposed President Obama's plan to shut down the terrorist holding facility at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guantanamo_Bay_detention_camp" title="Guantanamo Bay detention camp" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Guantanamo Bay</a> military base, saying "Bringing hardened terrorists to the U.S. homeland harms our national security."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-29" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[29]</a>Regarding the formal restart of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba, DeSantis said "Raising the Cuban flag in the United States is a slap in the face to those who have experienced the brutality of the Castro regime."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-reaction-30" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[30]</a><h4 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Israel[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ron_DeSantis&action=edit&section=13&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Israel" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h4>In 2013, DeSantis introduced the Palestinian Accountability Act, which would halt U.S. aid to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_National_Authority" title="Palestinian National Authority" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Palestinian Authority</a> until it formally recognizes <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel" title="Israel" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Israel</a>’s right to exist as a Jewish state and cuts off all ties with the terror group <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamas" title="Hamas" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Hamas</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-31" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[31]</a>In 2016, DeSantis co-introduced the Non-Discrimination of Israel in Labeling Act, which will defend the right of Israeli producers to label products manufactured in the West Bank as “Israel,” “Made in Israel,” or “Product of Israel.”<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-32" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[32]</a> DeSantis believes that the U.S. Embassy should be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-33" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[33]</a><h4 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Islamic terrorism[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ron_DeSantis&action=edit&section=14&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Islamic terrorism" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h4>After the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_2015_Paris_attacks" title="November 2015 Paris attacks" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">November 2015 Paris attacks</a>, DeSantis "called for urgent recognition that Islamic extremism is to blame for the Paris attacks and should be seen as an enemy for America." DeSantis has said "The enemy is an ideology rooted in militant Islam" and has said that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant" title="Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">ISIS</a> must be stopped and its members kept away from America.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-34" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[34]</a> In December 2015, DeSantis introduced the Terrorist Refugee Infiltration Prevention Act, which would prevent refugees from countries with terrorist-controlled areas from entering into the United States.The bill includes an exception for refugees who are a member of a group that is a victim of genocide.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-35" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[35]</a> Regarding U.S. policy toward refugees, DeSantis said "the prudent policy is to err on the side of protecting the American people."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-36" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[36]</a><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Veterans affairs[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ron_DeSantis&action=edit&section=15&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Veterans affairs" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>DeSantis has sharply criticized the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Veterans_Affairs" title="United States Department of Veterans Affairs" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">United States Department of Veterans Affairs</a> for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterans_Health_Administration_scandal_of_2014" title="Veterans Health Administration scandal of 2014" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Veterans Health Administration scandal of 2014</a>, in which veteran deaths were linked to fatal wait times. He co-sponsored the VA Accountability Act, which aims to increase accountability by providing for the removal or demotion of employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs based on performance or misconduct.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-37" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[37]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-38" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[38]</a> He is a member of the Post-9/11 Veterans Caucus.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-39" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[39]</a><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Healthcare[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ron_DeSantis&action=edit&section=16&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Healthcare" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>DeSantis is opposed to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patient_Protection_and_Affordable_Care_Act" title="Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act</a>, which he believes should be replaced with policies designed to strengthen Medicare, facilitate consumer choice, and reduce costs.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-40" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[40]</a> His own health care reform proposals include creating a refundable universal tax credit for health insurance purchases, using high risk pools to provide coverage options for people with preexisting conditions, allowing individuals to choose health insurance plans without government involvement, prohibiting the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_Revenue_Service" title="Internal Revenue Service" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Internal Revenue Service</a> from having involvement in health care decisions, barring the use of taxpayer funds to bail out insurance companies, and block granting <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicaid" title="Medicaid" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Medicaid</a> to the states.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-41" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[41]</a>DeSantis co-sponsored a bill to end congressional exemptions from Obamacare, treating members of Congress and their staffers the same as every other American under the law.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-42" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[42]</a> DeSantis introduced a proposed 28th Amendment to the Constitution that would prohibit members of Congress from exempting themselves from laws that apply to the rest of the country.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-43" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[43]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-44" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[44]</a>In March 2017, DeSantis said that he wasn't ready to support the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Health_Care_Act" class="mw-redirect" title="American Health Care Act" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">American Health Care Act</a>, which is the Republican replacement bill for the Affordable Care Act.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-45" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[45]</a><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Immigration[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ron_DeSantis&action=edit&section=17&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Immigration" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>DeSantis believes the U.S. should enforce existing immigration laws and secure the border. He supports a visa tracking system to prevent individuals from illegally overstaying visas. He opposes executive amnesty and the release of convicted criminals who are in the U.S. illegally.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-46" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[46]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-47" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[47]</a> DeSantis opposes sanctuary cities.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-48" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[48]</a> He is a co-sponsor of the Establishing Mandatory Minimums for Illegal Reentry Act of 2015, also known as Kate's Law, which would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to increase penalties applicable to aliens who unlawfully reenter the United States after being removed.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-49" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[49]</a><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Size and scope of government[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ron_DeSantis&action=edit&section=18&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Size and scope of government" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>DeSantis opted not to receive his <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_pension" title="Congressional pension" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">congressional pension</a>, and he filed a measure that would eliminate pensions for members of Congress.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-roll-50" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[50]</a> After introducing the End Pensions in Congress Act, DeSantis said "The Founding Fathers envisioned elected officials as part of a servant class, yet Washington has evolved into a ruling class culture."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-51" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[51]</a> DeSantis believes term limits should exist for members of Congress.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-52" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[52]</a>He sponsored the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faithful_Execution_of_the_Law_Act_of_2014" title="Faithful Execution of the Law Act of 2014" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Faithful Execution of the Law Act of 2014</a>, which would direct the United States Department of Justice to report to the United States Congress whenever any federal agency refrains from enforcing laws or regulations for any reason. Speaking about the bill, DeSantis said "You can not have rule of law when people don’t know what the law is."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-53" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[53]</a> The bill passed the U.S. House in March 2014.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-54" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[54]</a><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Economic issues[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ron_DeSantis&action=edit&section=19&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Economic issues" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>DeSantis has said that the debate in Washington, D.C. over how to reduce the deficit should shift emphasis from tax increases to curtailing spending and triggering economic growth.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-55" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[55]</a> DeSantis supports a “no budget no pay” policy for Congress to encourage the passage of a budget.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-56" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[56]</a> He believes the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Reserve_System" title="Federal Reserve System" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Federal Reserve System</a> should be audited.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-roll-50" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[50]</a>In the wake of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IRS_targeting_controversy" title="IRS targeting controversy" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">IRS targeting controversy</a>, DeSantis called for the resignation of Internal Revenue Service Commissioner <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Koskinen" title="John Koskinen" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">John Koskinen</a> for having "failed the American people by frustrating Congress’s attempts to ascertain the truth."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-57" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[57]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-58" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[58]</a> He co-sponsored a bill to impeach Koskinen for violating the public's trust.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-59" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[59]</a> In 2015, DeSantis was named "Taxpayer Superhero" by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_Against_Government_Waste" title="Citizens Against Government Waste" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Citizens Against Government Waste</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-60" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[60]</a>DeSantis supported the REINS Act, which would require that regulations that have a significant economic impact be subject to a vote of Congress prior to taking effect.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-61" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[61]</a>DeSantis introduced the Let Seniors Work Act, which would repeal the Retirement Earnings Test and stop the 12.4% payroll tax for working seniors, and he co-sponsored a measure to eliminate taxes on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Security(United_States)" title="Social Security (United States)" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Social Security</a> benefits.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-62" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[62]</a>DeSantis sponsored the Transportation Empowerment Act, which would transfer much of the responsibility for transportation projects to the individual states. The bill would reduce the gas tax.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-63" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[63]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-64" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[64]</a> DeSantis has opposed taxes on the internet, including legislation that would require online retailers to pay state sales tax.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-65" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[65]</a><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Social issues[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ron_DeSantis&action=edit&section=20&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Social issues" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>DeSantis is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_pro-life_movement" title="United States pro-life movement" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">pro-life</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-66" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[66]</a> He opposes taxpayer funding of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_Parenthood" title="Planned Parenthood" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Planned Parenthood</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-67" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[67]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-68" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[68]</a>Citing the importance of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_religion" title="Freedom of religion" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">religious freedom</a>, DeSantis has said the government should protect companies whose owners want to exclude birth control from their employees' health insurance coverage, and refrain from applying anti-discrimination laws to individuals or entities who discriminate against gay people.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-69" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[69]</a> DeSantis agreed with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burwell_v.Hobby_Lobby_Stores,Inc." title="Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc." style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.</a>, saying "This case does not concern the availability or legality of contraceptives, and individuals can obtain and use these as they see fit. The question is simply whether the government can force the owners of Hobby Lobby to pay for abortifacients in violation of their faith."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-70" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[70]</a><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Second Amendment[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ron_DeSantis&action=edit&section=21&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Second Amendment" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>DeSantis opposes <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_control" title="Gun control" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">gun control</a>. He received an A+ rating from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Rifle_Association" title="National Rifle Association" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">National Rifle Association</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-71" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[71]</a><h3 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; line-height: 1.6;">Education[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ron_DeSantis&action=edit&section=22&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Education" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h3>DeSantis opposes federal education programs such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Child_Left_Behind_Act" title="No Child Left Behind Act" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">No Child Left Behind Act</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_to_the_Top" title="Race to the Top" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Race to the Top</a>, saying that education policy should be made at the local level.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-roll-50" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[50]</a>DeSantis introduced the Higher Education Reform and Opportunity Act, which would allow states to create their own accreditation systems in an effort to open up an alternative market for education that gives students access to federal loan money to put towards non-traditional educational opportunities, such as online learning courses, vocational schools, and apprenticeships in skilled trades.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-72" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[72]</a><h2 style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); line-height: 1.3;">Personal life[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ron_DeSantis&action=edit&section=23&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Personal life" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">edit</a>]</h2>In 2010, DeSantis married Casey Black, a local <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmy_Award" title="Emmy Award" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Emmy</a>-winning television host. They previously lived in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponte_Vedra_Beach,Florida" title="Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-save-27" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[27]</a> However, DeSantis and his wife moved to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Coast,Florida" title="Palm Coast, Florida" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">Palm Coast, Florida</a> in July, 2016 after redistricting moved their home in Ponte Vedra Beach into the 4th congressional district.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-73" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[73]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis#cite_note-74" style="text-decoration: none; background: none;">[74]</a>
==

</div></div></div></div>