Ryan Nicol
Yet another statewide Republican candidate — attorney general hopeful Frank White — is hammering environmental advocacy group Bullsugar over its questionnaire regarding Florida’s algae bloom problem.
The questionnaire is highly critical of the sugar industry, including questions such as “Do you agree that your campaign will be sugar-free, accepting no contributions from any source with ties to the sugarcane industry?”
Bullsugar has faced criticism for previous false claims about the blooms and a failure to disclose its donor list.
That history resulted in a scathing response from GOP Agriculture Commissioner candidate Matt Caldwell, who called Bullsugar “one of the most obscene groups in Florida” that pushes a “constant stream of twisted misinformation spread to the public.”
Now, White is following up with his own statement bashing the group.
“I, and other like-minded conservatives, will not be held hostage by binary environmental advocacy which threatens jobs in agriculture and seeks to erode property rights,” said White, a state representative from Pensacola.
“I believe you can care about the health and well being of our state without launching aggressive attacks on the hardworking people of the Glades.”
White says this isn’t a critique of environmental groups generally, but rather Bullsugar’s tactics in particular.
“There are a variety of environmental organizations across the state who seek to truly address our water quality challenges without taking aim at hardworking Floridians, and I will continue to work with those organizations as I believe our values are more closely aligned.”
White is competing with former Hillsborough Circuit Judge Ashley Moody for the Republican nomination. Democrats Sean Shaw, another House member, and attorney Ryan Torrens are also running for A.G., along with non-party affiliated candidate Jeffrey Siskind.
