Peter Schorsch
Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics.
By Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Daniel McAuliffe, Jim Rosica, and Drew Wilson.
And now there are five.
The five top Democratic candidates for Governor will debate 7 p.m. Wednesday at Florida Gulf Coast University’s Cohen Center in Fort Myers. The event will be broadcast live on WINK News in Southwest Florida and on Winknews.com.
“This will be the first time all five Democratic candidates — Andrew Gillum, Gwen Graham, Jeff Greene, Chris King and Philip Levine — will share a stage for a formal debate,” the release said. “After Wednesday, there is one more scheduled debate before the Aug. 28 Democratic primary.”
“Taking back the Governor’s Mansion is critical to ensuring a better future for all Floridians,” said FDP Chair Terrie Rizzo. “Thankfully, we have been gifted with an amazing group of Democratic candidates.”
The last time Floridians elected a Democrat to the Governor’s Mansion was in 1994.
“We are confident that, once voters hear what our candidates have to say, they will be as optimistic as we are about our chances to take back Florida,” Rizzo added.
So what are the top 5 things to look for in Wednesday’s debate?
—A question we’ve asked before: Will anyone truly shine? Is this Greene’s breakout moment? If so, on what issue? If not him, who?
—Who will be first to capitalize on the perception that Republican candidate Adam Putnam is running his Division of Licensing, which includes concealed carry permits, like the Keystone Kops?
The latest revelation: An ex-supervisor “warned of ‘gross misconduct,’ sued and got a $30,000 settlement,” the Times reported, adding her bosses told her she “worked for the NRA.”
—Will there be any solutions offered to deal with the explosion of algae in Lake Okeechobee?
Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency as the blue-green goo covered almost 90 percent of the 730-square-mile body of water in Central Florida.
—Who’ll stake out the most left-leaning position on something?
Gillum, for instance, has called for “legalizing recreational marijuana and taxing it to generate badly-needed new revenue.”
—Will anyone try to ‘nationalize’ the race by grabbing at the low-hanging fruit that is President Donald Trump?
Even Republicans are lambasting his Helsinki performance. Who’ll be the first Democratic gubernatorial hopeful to take a gratuitous potshot at the prez during the debate?
Stay tuned …
— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —
—@JohnJHarwood: Trump’s would/wouldn’t cleanup attempt good enough for Marco Rubio: “I’m just glad he clarified it. I can’t read his intentions or what he meant to say at the time. suffice it to say that for me as a policymaker, what really matters is what we do moving forward.”
—@RonDeSantisFL: I’ve been blessed to meet many Floridians from across our state, but running into my first-grade teacher, Mrs. Centinaro, from Dunedin was awesome!
—@LindaStewartFL: Governor Scott says he is reviewing my letter requesting a special investigation of concealed weapons report. It was riddled with errors.
—@Fineout: Back in 2010 @FLGovScott proclaimed that lobbyists would be crying in their cocktails if he were elected. Today Scott appointed a whole bunch of lobbyists to key spots on the nominating commissions that will pick nominees for Florida judges
—@GrayRohrer: DOH says it needs $13.2M in additional budget authority to implement the medical marijuana constitutional amendment passed by voters in 2016.
—@AdamSmithTimes: Gentleman @ Hillsborough GOP meeting, after cordially addressing me as fake news reporter just told me: “Did you know that the original founders of St Pete Times were literally card-carrying communists?”
— DAYS UNTIL —
Florida Chamber Global Florida Webinar — 6; MAKE MORE Manufacturing Summit — 13; Deadline for filing claim bills — 14; ‘The Race for Governor’ Democratic gubernatorial debate in West Palm Beach — 15; Florida’s back to school sales tax holiday begins — 16; Republican gubernatorial debate in Jacksonville — 21; School begins in the first 19 Florida districts — 23; Start of the U.S. Open — 40; Primary Election Day — 41; NFL season starts — 41; College Football opening weekend — 43; Labor Day — 47; Future of Florida Forum — 70; ‘Before You Vote’ Florida U.S. Senate debate — 107; ‘Before You Vote’ Florida Governor debate — 98; General Election Day — 111; Florida Chamber Insurance Summit — 132; ‘Hamilton’ comes to the Straz Center — 209; 2019 Legislative Session starts — 230; 2020 General Election — 839.
— TOP STORY —
“Outlier or not, new poll gives DeSantis a 20 point lead(!) over Putnam” via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics — A new survey conducted by St. Pete Polls found the Ponte Vedra Republican pulling a full 50 percent of likely GOP primary voters while the heretofore front-runner, Agriculture Commissioner Putnam, is registering at 30 percent. The new poll more than corroborates a measure from Fabrizio-Lee released earlier Tuesday that found DeSantis up 42-30 over Putnam, not to mention the many internal polls Team DeSantis has touted in recent weeks. There is no bright spot for Putnam in this poll. While the Bartow Republican was seen as favorable by 49 percent of those polled, his otherwise enviable plus-27 rating pales in comparison to DeSantis, who came in at 61-11 on the fave/unfave question. Perhaps more noteworthy is the towing capacity of Trump’s endorsement, which is undoubtedly DeSantis’ biggest asset in the race to replace Gov. Scott. DeSantis leads among every slice and subset of Republican voter.
“How guns are weighing down Putnam’s bid for Governor” via Marc Caputo of POLITICO Florida — Putnam had hoped the issue of guns would give his Florida gubernatorial bid a lift, but it’s now tripping him up just over a month from the state’s Republican primary. The … current Florida agriculture commissioner has made his commitment to gun rights a central element of his political persona — even calling himself a “proud NRA sellout” … He found himself running away from the label, however, after a Florida high school mass shooting earlier this year. Then he was nagged by a steady drumbeat of reports over how his office mishandled reviews for some concealed weapons permits, mischaracterized an investigation into the situation and then withheld documents from the news media. Now Putnam is trailing his conservative primary challenger, DeSantis, in polls. And Scott added to Putnam’s woes Tuesday by saying the governor’s office is “looking into” calls from Democrats to investigate Putnam’s office.
— NELSON VS. SCOTT —
“Scott: ‘I disagree with the president’ on Vladimir Putin” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — In a campaign stop for his drive to become Florida’s next U.S. senator, Scott sought to put daylight between himself and Trump, saying he disagreed with him on the positions he expressed in Helsinki toward Russia and its leader Putin. Scott essentially dodged that question, condemning Putin but declining to address Trump’s political embrace of the dictator in Helsinki. For that, Scott’s Democratic opponent, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, charged that Scott was refusing to stand up to his “pal” in the White House. “I completely disagree. I disagree with the president,” Scott replied to a press question. “I think Putin, he’s not to be trusted. I’m very skeptical of him. I don’t think he’s a friend; he’s a foe. I think that there is clear evidence that he tried to meddle in our election.”
“Scott’s use of blind trust challenged as illegal” via John Kennedy of GateHouse Media — An attorney who sued Scott arguing he is violating state law by refusing to detail his wide-ranging personal wealth asked an appellate court Tuesday to let his lawsuit continue. But the general counsel for the Republican governor, now a candidate for U.S. Senate, argued that the case should be dismissed. The Florida Commission on Ethics — not the courts — is where any financial disclosure challenge should be filed, said Daniel Nordby of the governor’s office. The Ethics Commission, whose members are appointed by Scott, has endorsed the use of a blind trust to report his annual disclosure. “I put all my assets in a blind trust, so I don’t know how they invested the dollars,” Scott told reporters following a campaign event in St. Petersburg. Don Hinkle, a Tallahassee lawyer and major Democratic fundraiser, disputes that and told the 1st District Court of Appeal that the state constitution requires “full and fair disclosure” by public officials, a provision approved in 1976 by voters as part of the state’s Sunshine Laws.
Assignment editors — Scott will join small business leaders to highlight the launch of his Small Business Coalition, made up of job creators from across the state. The first “Small Business Coalition Highlight Event” is at 9:30 a.m., Hialeah Meter Company, 450 W 28th St., Suite 4, Hialeah. The second is at 3 p.m., Capitol Lighting, 7301 North Federal Highway, Boca Raton.
“Nelson feeling it from both sides on Brett Kavanaugh” via Alex Leary of the Tampa Bay Times — Nelson continues to face pressure from both sides on the Supreme Court vacancy as he appears to have retreated from certain opposition to Kavanaugh. Today, the Koch brothers’ Americans for Prosperity announced a digital ad as well as a mailer calling on Nelson to vote to confirm Kavanaugh. That follows a previous ad from a different conservative group. On the other side, Organizing for Action, the spinoff of President Obama‘s political group, has mounted a telephone campaign. Nelson’s spokesman told the Tampa Bay Times on Tuesday that the office has gotten about 1,700 calls since Kavanaugh was announced and that 200 were for the nominee and 1,500 against.
— NOTES FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL —
“Koch-backed group creates new Florida political committee” via Matt Dixon of POLITICO Florida — The committee will serve as the vehicle to funnel national donor cash to the gubernatorial bid of DeSantis. DeSantis has long been trailing Florida Agriculture Commissioner Putnam, who is the GOP establishment pick, in both the polls and money chase, but that front-runner status has quickly eroded as the primary fight heads into its final month. That dynamic is set to continue as Freedom Partners Actions Fund filed paperwork to create a Florida political committee that will serve as a vehicle for the national money the group attracts. Chairing the new committee is Mark Holden, senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of Koch Industries, Inc, records show. It had been understood that the Freedom Partners Action Fund endorsement would mean national money for DeSantis, but the creation of the new committee is a concrete step toward that end.
“Tom Steyer’s ‘NextGen Climate’ opens state-level political committee” via Florida Politics — NextGen Climate Action Committee was added to the Florida Division of Elections political committee database. The national version of the climate change-focused group is one of many operating under Steyer’s “NextGen America” banner. The committee listing for the Florida spinoff names Chris Fadeff as chairman. Fadeff serves as the chief financial officer and vice president of legal for NextGen America. He has worked for the advocacy group since 2013, the year it was founded. The committee’s treasurer is Rita Copeland, who holds the same position at the national NextGen Climate Action Committee according to Federal Elections Commission records.
“DeSantis accuses John Brennan of being member of Communist Party” via Max Greenwood of The Hill — DeSantis accused Brennan on Monday of having been a member of the Communist Party during the Cold War, saying that the former CIA director lacks the credibility to discuss Trump’s meeting with his Russian counterpart, Putin. “John Brennan was a disaster as CIA director. He was a disaster as the counterterrorism official. He was a member of the Communist Party during the Cold War,” DeSantis said on Fox News. DeSantis’s comments came hours after Trump sat down with Putin in Helsinki for a highly anticipated summit. Brennan tore into Trump after the remarks … DeSantis’s allegation that Brennan was a member of the Communist Party hinges on the former CIA director’s admission that he voted for the Communist Party’s presidential candidate, Gus Hall, in 1976.
Happening today — Donald Trump Jr. appears with Republican gubernatorial candidate DeSantis, joined by U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz and Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, 2 p.m., B.B. King’s Blues Club, 9101 International Dr., Orlando.
“LGBT Democrats recommend Andrew Gillum” via Anthony Man of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — The Dolphin Democrats, the party’s LGBT political caucus in Broward County, is leaning toward Gillum … It’s a “recommendation,” not an “endorsement.” And it results from a relatively small straw poll of voting members at the organization’s July meeting. In local primary contests, the Dolphins endorsed two primary challengers, giving thumbs down to two incumbents currently serving in the state House of Representatives. In the statewide primaries, official endorsements won’t come until the end of July when the LGBTA Democrats from around the state meet in West Palm Beach. Still, a signal of support from the Dolphin Democrats, one of the party’s most active political groups in Broward is something each of the five Democrats for governor sought.
Sarasota teacher group endorses Philip Levine — The Levine for Governor campaign receive the endorsement of the Sarasota Classified/Teachers Association (SC/TA), an organization that represents the incredible teachers and educators of the Sarasota Public School District. The latest endorsement adds to a growing group of local leaders praising Levine’s call to fully fund public education in the state of Florida and pay teachers a nationally-competitive salary. Said Patricia Gardner, president of SC/TA: “Our biggest concern has been the lack of funding we receive from the Florida legislature, but now we are terrified by what we believe is a coming catastrophic teacher shortage. We need a strong Governor to address these problems and I believe Mayor Levine is that person.”
“Jimmy Patronis continues to amass money for general election” via the News Service of Florida — CFO Patronis pulled in $222,361 in campaign contributions at the end of June and beginning of July as he continues to amass a sizable reserve for the November election. From June 30 to July 6, Patronis raised $47,611 for his campaign account and $174,750 with his political committee Treasure Florida. He had a combined $3.45 million on hand in the two accounts … Patronis’ numbers for the period included $50,000 from the health insurer Florida Blue; $46,350 from health care firms and physicians; more than $25,000 from financial-services companies; and $20,000 from telecommunications firms, including $5,000 from AT&T. He spent less than $20,000 from the two accounts during the reporting period.
“Mudslinging mailer brands Ashley Moody as ‘soft on child predators’” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — United Conservatives, a political committee supportive of Pensacola Rep. Frank White, dropped a bombshell on White’s opponent, former Hillsborough Judge Moody. The mailpiece hit: “Soft on crime … soft on child predators.” The media release from the committee: “Ashley Moody has a record of being soft on child predators as documented in court records and news outlets from her hometown. It is shocking that any judge would give less than the maximum sentence for a criminal convicted of committing horrific crimes against children. Moody has made excuses for these monsters and even recommended an adult-aged child molester be sent to a juvenile facility. Florida’s children deserve better and Florida’s parents deserve answers.” White is up seven points, 26 to 19, in the most recent public poll of the race. However, both candidates are well-capitalized … which suggests that perhaps there is still time for Moody to change the narrative.
Moody responds — Nick Catroppo, Moody’s campaign manager: “White’s entire career in law consists of a brief stop at a silk-stocking D.C. based law firm before he took a job at his in-law’s car dealership, which is now bankrolling his campaign. During that time, Ashley Moody faced down gang members, rapists, drug traffickers and violent criminals day in and day out as a federal prosecutor and judge. The contrast is as striking as the charges are ridiculous. Frank White has never put a criminal behind bars nor been in a courtroom. Ashley Moody has literally put herself in harm’s way in service to the safety of Floridians and bringing criminals to justice. Being Attorney General of Florida is a tough job and we need leaders who have experience on the front lines keeping this community safe; only Ashley Moody fits that criteria.”
— NOTES FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL, PART 2 —
“Lawsuit challenges Marsy’s Law amendment” via the News Service of Florida — Lee Hollander, a criminal defense lawyer from Southwest Florida, filed the lawsuit late last week in Leon County circuit court challenging Amendment 6, which was placed on the general-election ballot by the state Constitution Revision Commission. The ballot summary is “misleading” because “it fails to inform voters that it will result in the loss of current constitutional rights of criminal defendants, purports to ‘create’ constitutional rights for victims of crime even though rights for crime victims already exist in the Constitution (and) fails to inform voters that it curtails time allowed for criminal appeals,” the lawsuit said. Hollander’s lawsuit means four of the eight ballot measures approved by the Constitution Revision Commission, which meets every 20 years, are now being challenged in court.
“Greyhound racing-ban group releases another round of endorsements” via Florida Politics — The Protect Dogs-Yes on 13 campaign Wednesday announced it had received endorsements from more current and former lawmakers, civic organizations, animal welfare organizations, and others. Among them: state Sen. Dana Young, a Tampa Republican. “It’s time for Florida to move beyond mandated greyhound racing,” Young said. Usually, pari-mutuels in Florida are required to continue running live dog or horse races to have slots and card games. Attempts at “decoupling,” removing the live racing requirement, has failed in the Legislature in recent years. The campaign is promoting passage of Amendment 13, put on the November ballot by the Constitution Revision Commission (CRC). The proposal, which needs at least 60 percent approval to be added to the state constitution, aims at ending commercial dog racing in the state. In Florida, live dog racing is still conducted at 11 tracks.
“Mike Miller launching first TV ad in CD 7 race” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Miller is taking to the airwaves first in the hotly-contested Republican primary race for Florida’s 7th Congressional District with a television commercial featuring Gov. Scott and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio praising him. The 30-second TV spot, “They Both Like Mike,” is essentially a mashup of some video highlights from two internet ads that Miller’s campaign released this spring. It features Scott talking about Miller at an event the governor held in Orlando earlier this year, and then Rubio talking about Miller at a Miller campaign fundraiser. Rubio has endorsed Miller. Scott has not. Miller, of Winter Park, faces two other Republicans, Sanford businessman Scott Sturgill and Orlando lawyer Vennia Francois in the Aug. 28 primary for CD 7, which covers Seminole County and north and central Orange County.
To watch the ad, click on the image below:
“Two state pols endorse Donna Shalala for Congress” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Former University of Miami President Shalala has been endorsed by a pair of state Democrats as she seeks a move to Congress. State Reps. Joe Geller and Javier Fernandez say they’re backing Shalala in the crowded Democratic primary in Florida’s 27th Congressional District. “Donna Shalala has the leadership and progressive values we need in Washington,” said Geller, who represents House District 100. “She has the experience and expertise to shake up Washington and get things done for the people of South Florida. As the former Ranking Member on the K-12 Subcommittee in the Florida House of Representatives, I admire her track record and her long fight for our children, and I look forward to working with Donna to improve our education system and implement policies that put our kids first.”
“Berny Jacques tees up first TV ad for HD 66 bid” via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics — Just days after his Republican primary rival hit the airwaves, Jacques is rolling out his own TV ad in the race to succeed term-limited Rep. Larry Ahern in HD 66 … The 30-second ad touches on most of the issues du jour for Republican primary voters set to the backdrop of Jacques speaking with Pinellas voters at a picnic table, working behind a desk and even holding a baby. … “As a former prosecutor, I know what it takes to keep us safe from criminals. Now, I want to protect Pinellas from politicians who are doing harm to our country,” Jacques says in the ad. … A narrator then takes the reins to tout the Seminole attorney’s conservative credentials. “Constitutional Conservative Berny Jacques. He’s A-rated by the NRA and supports term limits. Berny Jacques is a former prosecutor who supports President Trump and will fight illegal immigration and ban sanctuary cities in Florida,” the ad says. … Jacques faces Belleair Bluffs businessman Nick DiCeglie in the Republican primary for HD 66, a coastal Pinellas seat that leans Republican. … Through July 6, Jacques led the money race with more than $200,000 raised compared to $122,250 for DiCeglie.
To watch the ad, click on the image below:
“Deede Weithorn earns endorsements from pro-choice groups” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Former Miami Beach City Commissioner Deede Weithorn announced a new set of endorsements from pro-choice groups as she continues to run for House District 113. Weithorn secured support from both EMILY’s List and Ruth’s List, her campaign announced Tuesday. EMILY’s List aims to promote the election of pro-choice women throughout the country, while Ruth’s List does the same here in Florida. “Ruth’s List is proud to endorse Deede Weithorn for the Florida House of Representatives because we need more women in Tallahassee who will fight for reproductive rights, equal pay for equal work and paid family leave,” said Pamela Goodman, executive director of Ruth’s List Florida. “We know Deede will be a fierce advocate on these issues and an excellent representative for Miami Beach, downtown Miami and Little Havana.”
“Rob Panepinto launches first Orange County mayoral commercial” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — In the 30-second spot “Rise,” Panepinto, a Winter Park entrepreneur and area business leader, follows a basic introductory script, with standard images of him with his family, meeting with residents outdoors and in businesses, and talking in Lake Eola Park. “Orange County is on the rise and we have an opportunity to build an even better future for our families. I’m Rob Panepinto, proud husband and father, community leader and a businessman running to be your next mayor,” he says. “We must come together to build a stronger and more diverse economy with better-paying jobs, protect the safety of our neighborhoods by fighting violent crime. Join me and together we’ll build an even better Orange County.”
To watch the video, click on the image below:
— PERSONAL PRAVDA —
It’s a bipartisan effort, but it’s not as heartwarming as you’d think.
Reports Sarah Fischer of Axios, “Politicians on the left and right are manipulating the news to bolster their election efforts with fake headlines, websites and articles.”
Manipulating headlines and using positive news snippets are old spin strategies, but the rise of digital media and the proliferation of online news sites has led some politicians to sponsor their own news organizations in an attempt to highlight their own work or paint their opponents in a negative light via a source that at face value appears to not be linked to any campaign.
Menendez media: New Jersey Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez launched a site called HealthNewsNJ.com. Fischer notes that one article, “How greedy drug company CEO Bob Hugin gouged cancer patients and enabled Donald Trump,” is a direct affront on Menendez’ challenger.
The GOP gazette: Both the Republican Governors Association and Arizona Senate candidate Kelli Ward have benefitted from shady websites. Ward touted an endorsement from a fake news publication, reported POLITICO, and the RGA set up its own biased medium, Free Telegraph.
Going forward: Be wary. The age of information is saturated with distortion. As the founder of Wired Magazine noted in Pew’s latest report on misinformation, “Truth is no longer dictated by authorities, but is networked by peers. For every fact, there is a counterfact, and all these counterfacts and facts look identical online, which is confusing to most people.”
— STATEWIDE —
“What’s a slot machine? Florida court will decide” via Jim Rosica of Florida Politics — If a video game looks like a slot machine, plays like a slot machine, and pays out like a slot machine, is it still a slot machine if you know whether you’re going to win or lose? No, said an attorney for a Jacksonville company that distributes what are called “pre-reveal” games, which can be found across the state in bars and taverns. A three-judge panel for Tallahassee’s 1st District Court of Appeal heard argument in the case Tuesday. The games “preview” outcomes as to their winning or losing nature. Judge James R. Wolf said the case wasn’t really about knowing the outcome of any individual play, but whether there was unpredictability in the “entire course of play.” “I understand you don’t have to keep going, but come on, don’t make the argument they made in the trial court that people put money in just to see the fancy lights glow; that’s not why people put money in this machine,” he told Bryan DeMaggio, the attorney for Gator Coin II. “They’re putting money in this machine because of an unpredictable outcome that’s going to come up,” Wolf added. Other states, including Indiana and North Carolina, have found pre-reveal games to be illegal gambling.
Judge dismisses red-light cameras class action suit — Following the lead of the Florida Supreme Court, a federal judge has dismissed a class-action lawsuit that challenged the way red-light camera programs have been operated throughout the state. U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno last week issued a two-page order dismissing the case, which was filed in 2014. In the decision, Moreno cited a May 3 ruling by the Florida Supreme Court that rejected a motorist’s challenge to the red-light camera program in the city of Aventura. The federal and state cases focused heavily on questions about whether local governments had violated state law by giving too much authority to private red-light camera companies in operating the programs. But the Florida Supreme Court ruled that state law “authorizes a local government to contract with a private third-party vendor to review and sort information from red light cameras, in accordance with written guidelines provided by the local government, before sending that information to a trained traffic enforcement officer, who determines whether probable cause exists and a citation should be issued.”
Bill Galvano interview talks childhood, Senate presidency — Speaking with Florida Internet & Television from his law offices in Bradenton, Galvano reveals what it was like growing up Galvano. Some interesting tidbits: Bill Mote of Mote Marine is Galvano’s namesake; the likes of Tony Bennett and Morey Amsterdam, friends of his late golf pro father, ate dinner at the Galvano house; and one of his second-grade classmates would eventually become his wife. The interview comes just as he prepares to take the helm of the Florida Senate. Asked what message he wants to convey from day one, Galvano said he plans to do everything he can to empower his Senate colleagues. “We can only be successful collectively as a Senate if we make sure that the voices are heard throughout the state, and the individual senators are the conduits for those voices.”
To view Galvano’s entire interview with Brad Swanson, click the image below:
What Jack Latvala could be reading — “Misconduct allegations no obstacle for many state lawmakers” via Christina Cassidy of The Associated Press — Allegations of sexual misconduct against Kentucky lawmakers have become so common that the statehouse has seemed more like a frat house: Seven lawmakers have faced accusations, including four who settled secretly with a female legislative aide. Voters’ response? Mostly, keep them in office. Of the five lawmakers up for re-election this year, three easily made it through their party primaries and are favored to retain their seats in November. The other two chose not to run. It’s not just Kentucky. An Associated Press review finds that 25 state lawmakers accused of sexual misconduct are running for re-election or another office this year. Of those, 15 have already advanced to the Nov. 6 general election. Seven did not even face a challenger in the primary.
“Former state Rep. Dwayne Taylor loses appeal in wire fraud case” via the News Service of Florida — A federal appeals court Tuesday rejected an appeal by former state Rep. Taylor, a Daytona Beach Democrat who was convicted last year on wire-fraud charges. Taylor was sentenced to 13 months in prison after being convicted on nine counts of wire fraud related to the personal use of campaign funds. In the appeal to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Taylor’s attorney contended that the issue of “willfulness” had been improperly left out of instructions to the jury about the crime of wire fraud. The appeals court said it would not review what it described as “invited error.” Taylor, 50, who served in the state House from 2008 to 2016, is in a federal penitentiary in Atlanta and is slated for release in December, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website.
“Visit Florida: Nudist group ’embellished’ partnership” via TaMaryn Waters of the Tallahassee Democrat — The American Association for Nude Recreation Florida issued a statement touting a partnership with Visit Florida to increase a “niche marketing effort.” The statement, issued last week, boasted that in 2016, the nudist industry in the Sunshine State had a total economic impact of $7.4 billion. But Visit Florida says it doesn’t know where the stats came from. Executives also were unaware of the partnership statement from AANR Florida before being contacted by the Tallahassee Democrat. “It was embellished. We are not participating in any marketing collaboration with this organization,” said Stephen Lawson, vice president of communications for Visit Florida. “We were completely unaware that this news release was going out.” Lawson downplayed the relationship. He said the nudist group is a partner in that it paid $395 to Visit Florida for a “small business partner” designation.
“Private polling boosted PBC schools’ push for a $150 million tax hike” via Andrew Marra of the Palm Beach Post — The private poll, which surveyed about 400 county voters in early May, found that 59 percent supported raising a special property tax that provides extra money for public schools … Thirty-two percent of those polled were opposed and 9 percent were unsure. Voters’ support increased further after pollsters highlighted the tax hike’s potential benefits to schools, the summary showed. A month after the poll was conducted, Schools Superintendent Donald Fennoy called for asking voters to quadruple the tax to boost teacher salaries and enhance school safety. The school board is expected to vote to put the proposed tax hike on the Nov. 6 ballot.
“John Thrasher to relocate Francis Eppes statue, will seek OK to remove B.K. Roberts’ name at FSU law school” via Byron Dobson of the Tallahassee Democrat — Thrasher took swift action Tuesday announcing plans to remove a statue of Eppes from the Westcott Plaza and to seek legislative approval to erase former Florida Supreme Court Justice Roberts’s name from the main classroom building at the College of Law. Eppes, the grandson of President Thomas Jefferson, was a slave owner and sided with the Confederacy during the Civil War. Roberts, a former state Supreme Court justice, was an avowed segregationist who used his position to thwart the efforts of an African American, Virgil Hawkins, to gain admittance to the University of Florida law school. Thrasher decided against the panel’s recommendation to remove the Eppes designation at Eppes Hall, which houses the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Thrasher said he expects the removal of the Eppes statue will be done “pretty quickly.” “I think the next thing to do is remove the statue and put it in a safe place and take some time to decide where we want to relocate it to,” he said, adding it could find a home in Eppes Hall or Dodd Hall on campus at some point.
— D.C. MATTERS —
“Republicans accused Facebook, Google and Twitter of bias. Democrats called the hearing ‘dumb.’” via Tony Romm of The Washington Post — Lawmakers had convened the nearly three-hour session before the House Judiciary Committee to explore the “filtering” practices of major social media companies, where a mix of human reviewers and powerful yet secret algorithms review online content — a process meant to stifle offensive speech that even tech giants admit is not perfect. But GOP lawmakers … ultimately focused much of their efforts on highlighting what they perceive as bias against those on the political right — a charge the tech companies repeatedly denied. The line of questioning enraged committee Democrats … Many in the party also demanded Congress focus its time on more pressing issues, including Russia’s efforts to spread disinformation online. In response, though, tech companies once again sought to stress their neutrality.
Spotted — Congressman Matt Gaetz once again makes the rounds of Fox News to discuss Sacha Baron Cohen and the Lisa Page testimony: Fox Business with Lou Dobbs, Fox News with Martha MacCullum and Fox & Friends.
“Green groups sue to block Trump’s offshore drilling plan in Gulf of Mexico” via CD Davidson-Hiers of Florida Phoenix — Four environmental groups filed a lawsuit today against the Trump administration for its decision to open more than 78 million acres of the Gulf of Mexico to offshore drilling. Earthjustice filed the lawsuit on behalf of the other three groups. The suit comes after the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) announcement last week that it will offer drilling leases for sale on August 15. The lawsuit challenges that sale and a previous March sale of offshore leases. The suit charges that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management relies on flawed assumptions about safety regulations and royalty rates, and that several of the agency’s conclusions are based on policies that were in effect during the Obama administration, but have been rolled back or eliminated under Trump. The lawsuit also charges BOEM with significantly underestimating how the drilling would affect overall oil and gas development in the Gulf of Mexico and the effects on global climate change.
“U.S. appeals court in Miami to consider how much public can be allowed to know about 9/11” via Dan Christiansen of FloridaBulldog.org — A federal appeals court panel will hear arguments in Miami about how much the public should be allowed to know about what led up to the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. At issue are records from the FBI’s secretive 9/11 Review Commission, also known as the Meese Commission, including reports about a Sarasota terrorism investigation the bureau once hid from both Congress and the 9/11 Commission. Florida Bulldog sued the government two years ago after the FBI did not respond to its 2015 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for commission records. The records were sought after the Meese Commission tried to discredit without much explanation a stunning April 16, 2002, FBI report the Bulldog had forced the FBI to release through an earlier FOIA suit.
“Republicans say Marco Rubio’s bill is the way for Congress to deter Russian meddling” via Alex Daugherty and Lesley Clark of the Miami Herald — Trump supporters like Fox News host Laura Ingraham, moderates like Miami Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Senate leaders like Mitch McConnell have all expressed support for Rubio’s bill, signaling that Congress could pass substantive legislation that would swiftly punish Moscow if U.S. intelligence determines that the Kremlin tries to meddle in future U.S. elections. The push by conservatives for a bill that was introduced in January by Rubio and Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland comes a day after Trump and Putin met privately for two hours and the president said he believes Putin instead of U.S. intelligence over the extent of Russian interference in the 2016 election. The joint news conference sparked widespread outrage and condemnation from Democrats and Republicans, though Trump tried to walk back his comments on Tuesday by saying he misspoke. Rubio and Van Hollen’s bill — the Defending Elections from Threats by Establishing Redlines (DETER) Act, is the first bill since the 2016 presidential election that sets specific punishments for the Russian government and other countries that interfere in U.S. political campaigns.
— OPINIONS —
“Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin: Two bullshit artists enter Helsinki, one comes out victorious” via Rick Wilson of The Daily Beast — The news conference showed us precisely what happened in that room. Trump sold out his country to Russia, then proudly affirmed it, live on camera. A former intelligence agency chief just asked me, “If the Russians didn’t write Trump’s talking points, how could you tell?” Trump didn’t just do it in the privacy of his treason boudoir; he walked out to the podium and sided consistently and passionately with Putin over America’s interests. Trump publicly stated he believes Putin is more trustworthy than America’s intelligence services. He refused to condemn any of Russia’s malicious, murderous, destabilizing behavior in the world, including its obvious and proven attacks on the United States and our allies. Before this dumbass Yalta even started, Putin held all the cards. Trump’s loyalty to Putin is so intense, and his distrust of his fellow Americans — both his advisers and our intelligence services — is so profound that he insisted on meeting with the Russian strongman behind closed doors. American national security officials, diplomats, and spies spent the weekend shitting a collective brick, begging an immovable Trump to please, please by all that is holy not sit alone in a room with the wily KGB officer turned dictator of the Russian klepto-state.
“Why, now that I’m a parent, does summer break feel so much shorter?” via Jeff Vrabel of The Washington Post — In the present, summer lasts nine criminally abrupt weeks, many of which feel spent before they’ve begun. It’s mid-July and we’re talking to fence-neighbors about teacher preferences and bus schedules, all of us feeling the end closing in. With just a little effort, you can almost see the gathering of autumn clouds. Somebody changed summer. But did they? Are summers shorter? The short answer: Erm, no. They’re generally eight to 10 weeks long, depending on the number of breaks sprinkled throughout the school year. But we have what feels like a lot of them: fall break for a week, spring break for a week-plus, three days at Thanksgiving, two weeks at Christmas and two confoundingly useless days off in February, the planet’s least appealing vacation month for 6,000 years and running. And an informal poll of people eating cereal in my kitchen indicates that we’d happily trade those October and (heavy sigh) February breaks for increased time at the pool. Were summers longer when I was a kid? Nah. They were the same, but I’m pretty sure that I’ve adopted an evocative, convenient and largely invented memory of it, all sleep and sunshine and bad hair-metal CDs.
“Interstate 4: Over budget, behind schedule and denying claims to damaged cars” via Scott Maxwell of the Orlando Sentinel — As the Orlando Sentinel’s Kevin Spear reported: The $2.3 billion effort to overhaul the 21-mile stretch through Orlando is behind schedule, over budget and denying claims from motorists whose cars were damaged and disabled in the construction zone. Not cool, I-4. But those are just the latest developments. There are more details many people don’t know about this project. The latest reports suggest the project is already $100 million over budget … Hundreds of cars have been damaged in this construction zone — by everything from falling debris to barrels and cones in the wrong place. What tommyrot. When it comes to public projects and taxpayer dollars, full transparency is the only thing acceptable.
— MOVEMENTS —
“Panel sends Gov. Scott six finalists for PSC vacancies” via Michael Moline of Florida Politics — A state panel declined to choose among six candidates for the Public Service Commission, and instead voted unanimously to send all six names to Gov. Scott. The candidates include Julie I. Brown and Gary Clark, incumbent commissioners whose terms expire at the end of the year. The Florida Constitution forbids commissioners from serving more than three four-year terms. “I would like to suggest, for efficiency, that we can just submit them as a slate, with one vote,” said Sen. Kelli Stargel, chairwoman of the PSC Nominating Council, during a televised hearing in Orlando. First, the candidates had opportunities to pitch their qualifications during a joint job interview. The job pays more than $130,000 per year.
“More candidates emerge for OFR post” via the News Service of Florida — Twenty more applications have come in from candidates seeking to replace former top financial regulator Drew Breakspear … Breakspear announced his resignation as commissioner this spring under pressure from state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis. A more-permanent replacement is now expected to be named at the Aug. 14 Cabinet meeting. Among the recent applicants was Steve Petty, a former chief economist for Florida TaxWatch. Also applying recently was Monica Rutkowski, who is a principal with Mer/Risk & Regulatory Compliance Solutions in Tallahassee.
New and renewed lobbying registrations:
Al Cardenas, Slater Bayliss, Stephen Shiver, The Advocacy Group at Cardenas Partners: Barrett-Jackson
James Daughton, Warren Husband, Douglas Bell, Patricia Greene, Allison Liby-Schoonover, Aimee Diaz Lyon, Andrew Palmer, William Schuessler, Metz Husband & Daughton: Asian-American Hotel Owners Association
Hayden Dempsey, Greenberg Traurig: Terrace of Kissimmee
Michael Dobson, Martha Edenfield, Cari Roth, Dean Mead: City of Indian Harbour Beach
Richard Fidei, Greenberg Traurig: Neptune Flood Incorporated
Kristin Strobel, BGR Government Affairs: Neurocrine Biosciences
— REST IN PEACE —
“Legal titan Robert H. Traurig, co-founder of Greenberg Traurig law firm, has died” via Daily Business Review — Traurig, one of three lawyers who launched Greenberg Traurig in Miami, passed away Tuesday morning, the DBR has learned. Traurig, who passed away at the age of 93, founded Greenberg Traurig alongside Mel Greenberg and Larry J. Hoffman in 1963, according to the firm’s website. Their goal had been to establish a law firm that mirrored the collaborative spirit and client-oriented values of New York City law firms of that time, according to Greenberg Traurig marketing material. It would seem they succeeded, given the firm’s global status as one of the most powerful players in the legal sector. Today, the firm Traurig helped build employs 1,944 attorneys and is the ninth largest in the United States.
— ALOE —
“Disney details one death, 15 injuries in quarterly report” via John Gregory of Orlando Rising — A 71-year-old man with a pre-existing heart condition died at the Blizzard Beach water park at Walt Disney World on June 10, one of 15 incidents Disney parks reported as part of the quarterly disclosure released by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The major parks in Central Florida report guests’ injuries and illnesses requiring at least a one-day hospital stay to FDACS as part of an agreement to avoid state inspections. The Orange-Osceola County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man who died at Blizzard Beach as James Persons of Waterford, Pa. The report said he suffered a heart attack while in the park’s Melt-Away-Bay wave pool. The other incidents in the report ranged from guests feeling dizzy after riding Dinosaur in Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Mad Tea Party in the Magic Kingdom to more serious accidents, like a 25-year-old man who broke his ankle on Typhoon Lagoon’s Mayday Falls tube slide. In a far-less common incident, the report said a 27-year-old woman went into labor on April 28 after riding Animal Kingdom’s Kilimanjaro Safaris.
What Hard Rock International Chairman Jim Allen is reading — “Blackjack’s rise and fall shows what drives customers away” via Forbes — It’s the card game for intellectuals, mathematicians, and those who like a real chance at beating the house. For years it was obscure, then it was popular, and now it has faded. Blackjack is proof that it’s not really the product itself that matters — it’s what customers can do with it.
Happy birthday to one of our favorite members of the Tampa Bay delegation, state Rep. Jackie Toledo, Maureen Ahern, state House candidate Jeremey Bailie, our brilliant friend Dex Fabian, and former Florida Democratic Party Chair Allison Tant Richard.
