Staff Reports
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist blasted Gov. Ron DeSantis after a spokesperson for his administration said that the state would not divest from Russian assets.
Crist, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for Governor, has urged DeSantis to “take decisive action and respond to Russia’s unprovoked attacks on the people of Ukraine” by selling off $300 million in Russian investments included in Florida’s state employee pension fund.
The Governor has largely ignored the pleas from Crist and other Democrats, including Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, who is also running for Governor.
The Governor has been quiet on the Russian invasion, and his staff has asserted that there is little reason for a Florida Governor to get involved in foreign affairs that do not affect Florida.
On Monday, DeSantis spokesperson Christina Pushaw directly addressed the divestment push.
“Does she truly think it’s worth $300 million at this point?” Pushaw tweeted, referring to Fried. “Of course, a Democrat would want to sell at the bottom of the market when the Moscow Stock Exchange just reopened today after a monthlong shutdown. So fiscally responsible of her.”
She later added, “For those who don’t know Florida law, the SBA has a fiduciary duty to protect state pensions. At the same time, the state has to abide by all relevant federal laws including treasury sanctions. That’s why the decision of divestment from Russian entities is currently UNDER REVIEW.”
In a Monday news release, Crist said that by not divesting more quickly, DeSantis “has proven himself weak in the face of Putin’s murderous attacks on democratic Ukraine.”
“Instead of divesting our state pension from Russia, the DeSantis Administration has chosen to continue backing Vladimir Putin’s war machine with Florida taxpayer dollars. Under Gov. DeSantis, an authoritarian regime is being fueled by Florida’s pension money, while Ukrainians lose their lives defending their democracy.”
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Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Rick Swearingen announced Friday that he would step down in September. On Monday, he announced he would leave even earlier.
“The effective date of my retirement has been moved up to May 1, 2022,” reads a letter Swearingen sent to the Governor.
The letter was only one line long and does not explain the accelerated timeline.
However, his exit comes after the Legislature passed a bill that would allow an FDLE commissioner to be confirmed with a majority vote of the Cabinet, rather than a unanimous one. The change would block Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the lone Democrat on the Cabinet, from having a say in who succeeds Swearingen.
After Swearingen’s initial announcement, Fried said that was not a coincidence and claimed it was “no secret” that DeSantis wanted Swearingen gone, “since he was not one of the Governor’s cronies.”
Swearingen has overseen FDLE for the past eight years. He ascended into the job after then-Gov. Rick Scott ousted longtime FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey. Social media reports have former U.S. Attorney Larry Keefe and Duval Sheriff Mike Williams being bandied about as potential replacements.
Evening Reads
“Gov. Ron DeSantis signs bill to restrict topics of ‘sexual orientation and gender identity’ in elementary schools” via Kelly Hayes of Florida Politics
“Disney says Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill should be repealed as Gov. DeSantis signs it into law” via Alex Weprin of The Hollywood Reporter
“Oscars broadcast mocks FL’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ legislation; DeSantis aide lashes back” via Issac Morgan of the Florida Phoenix
“DeSantis, Florida Republicans talk like they’re divorcing big business. Are they?” via Emily L. Mahoney and Langston Taylor of the Tampa Bay Times
“After Joe Biden’s fiery speech, nine unscripted words reverberate” via Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Emily Cochrane of The New York Times
“Gas prices slide down, but it may be temporary” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics
“Biden budget pivots to deficit concerns while boosting military, domestic programs” via Jeff Stein of The Washington Post
“Floridians seeking compensation for negligence, wrongful imprisonment get no relief” via Jeffrey Schweers of the Orlando Sentinel
“America’s inflation problem is weirdly hard to fix” via Emily Stewart of Vox
“Secret world of pro-Russia hacking group exposed in leak” via Robert McMillan, Kevin Poulsen and Dustin Volz of The Wall Street Journal
“House or yacht? Legal fight looms over property taxes for floating Star Island mansion” via David Ovalle of the Miami Herald
“The unreality of Will Smith’s Oscars slap” via Sophie Gilbert of The Atlantic
Quote of the Day
“This bill wasn’t necessary, and claims to solve a problem that frankly doesn’t exist. The words of the bill sponsors and the Governor’s own staff clearly laid out the real purpose: they don’t like the LGBTQ community, and don’t mind sacrificing their safety to advance their agenda.”
— House Democratic Leader Evan Jenne, after DeSantis signed the so-called ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill (HB 1557).
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