Quorumgate? Anthony Sabatini, others marked present against House rules

During a flash quorum call near the end of Tuesday’s House floor session, members were seen voting for each other, a no-no under House rules.

Among those who were marked as present when they weren’t at their desk was Rep. Anthony Sabatini.

But Lighthouse Point Republican Rep. Chip LaMarca owned up to it without a problem.

“It was a quorum call and he was on the blue carpet. I’d have done the same for any other member (even if they loaded our phone lines with complaints all summer!),” LaMarca tweeted.

LaMarca followed up with Florida Politics after the tweet.

“I just want to clarify. I did not vote for him. I pressed the button for the quorum call mid-session as instructed by the whip through Rep. David Smith,” he said.

Smith, a Winter Springs Republican, also told Florida Politics he voted for Sabatini on bills and amendments throughout Tuesday’s session.

Sabatini, LaMarca, and Smith sit together at the end of the east side of the floor.

House members routinely vote for each other on bills and amendments, and that is permitted if a member requests another member to vote for him or her, as long as the requesting member is on the House carpet. The carpet extends to back rooms, meaning members can be away from the chamber but still be eligible for votes.

However, House Rule 9.5b states, “In no case shall a member vote for another on a quorum call.” Additionally, Rule 9.5c says members who vote or request a member to vote in violation of the rules are subject to discipline from the House.

Sabatini, a Howey-in-the-Hills Republican, has beefed with House Speaker Chris Sprowls in recent months, calling him a “RINO” — a “Republican in Name Only.” Sabatini, who is running for Congress, skipped the session Monday for a D.C. fundraiser. However, he was on the floor for Tuesday’s initial quorum call.

At the conclusion of Tuesday’s floor session, Sabatini tweeted a photo of his desk.

“Biggest takeaway from today’s special session: Let’s go Brandon,” Sabatini wrote.

Video of the floor during the quorum call, about two-and-a-half hours into the session, doesn’t show Sabatini’s, LaMarca’s or Smith’s desks. However, it shows several members voting for each other during the quorum call.

Among them is Jacksonville Republican Rep. Wyman Duggan, who presses Macclenny Republican Rep. Chuck Brannan’s button as Brannan is sitting at the desk. Brannan then reaches over to press Dover Republican Rep. Lawrence McClure button. Neptune Beach Republican Rep. Cord Byrd points across the chamber toward his desk before Merritt Island Republican Rep. Tyler Sirois presses Byrd’s button.

The Speaker’s Office declined to comment on the adherence to House rules in the chamber.