Staff Reports
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
First Lady Casey DeSantis visited first responders in Lee County on Monday to help distribute meals to those helping with the Hurricane Ian relief effort.
She expressed gratitude for the brave men and women helping Floridians in need.
“I am proud of Florida’s First Responders and fortunate to have the opportunity to say thank you,” DeSantis said. “They have been on the front lines since the moment Hurricane Ian impacted Southwest Florida. They have rescued, comforted and strengthened great Floridians devastated by the hurricane, and I commend them for their dedication and courage.”
She also announced a Division of Emergency Management website for first responders to help provide mental health needs following the Category 4 hurricane.
“We know the ripple effects of a disaster go beyond physical destruction to include grief and distress in a community, and those serving on the front lines of Florida’s communities have the full support from our state, including the mental health aspects of recovery,” DeSantis said.
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While Florida recovers and candidates and state leaders visit the affected areas, the 2022 campaign isn’t on hold.
Charlie Crist is touting a progressive poll that put the Democrat within 1 percentage point of Gov. Ron DeSantis in the Governor’s race. The Crist campaign is also keeping up the fundraising, ad churning and trolling as Florida crosses the five-week mark to the Midterms.
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As a final note in our roundup, Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis says state anti-fraud teams have reached 1,700 Floridians in their effort to deter, identify and arrest scammers.
“If it sounds too good to be true, it is!” Patronis said in a statement.
“Consumers impacted by Hurricane Ian must be on guard for fraud. Do not feel pressured to sign anything without doing your research first. If you see signs of fraudulent activity in your area, report it to my office immediately by calling our Fraud Tip Hotline at 1-800-378-0445.”
The Anti-Fraud Strike Teams are staffed with officers from the Department of Financial Services Division of Investigative and Forensic Services. Six teams have been deployed to Charlotte, Hardee, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole and Volusia counties.
“Recovering from a disaster is an intimidating task, and homeowners should not be victimized twice,” said National Insurance Crime Bureau President and CEO David Glawe. “NICB is committed to working in collaboration with the Florida CFO to raise awareness on post-disaster fraud and to alert the public that there is no need to rush into an agreement with a contractor who solicits your repair work — especially when you did not request it.”
Evening Reads
—“After vaccines became available, a partisan gap in deaths emerged” via Philip Bump of The Washington Post
—“Gov. Ron DeSantis says ‘national regime media’ wanted Ian to hit Tampa” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics
—“Joe Biden to visit Fort Myers, meet with DeSantis over Ian” via Mark Skoneki and Jeffrey Schweers of the Orlando Sentinel
—“‘Politics are going to get injected’: Days after Ian, campaigns roar back to life” via Alex Roarty and Bianca Padró Ocaso of the Miami Herald
—“Donald Trump asks Supreme Court to intervene in Mar-a-Lago dispute” via Eric Tucker of The Associated Press
—“Republicans rally around Herschel Walker’s imperiled candidacy” via Natalie Allison and Marianne Levine of POLITICO
—“The Florida money connection to Dr. Oz in the high-stakes Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race” via Dan Christensen of the Florida Bulldog
—“The Onion and the Supreme Court. Not a parody” via Mark Sherman of The Associated Press
—“Doing Twitter deal after trying to walk away would be very unlike Elon Musk” via Rebecca Elliott of The Wall Street Journal
—“Letters to Jeb Bush” via Adam Dalva for The New Yorker
—“All Duke Energy, Tampa Electric customers have power restored after Hurricane Ian” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics
—“Ian’s sewage geysers into neighborhoods, gushes into environment” via Kevin Spear of the Orlando Sentinel
—“Charlie Crist, Democrats should condemn Loranne Ausley’s racist mailer” via Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics
—“Post-hurricane, Humane Society of Tampa Bay has too many dogs and needs help” via Sue Carlton of the Tampa Bay Times
Quote of the Day
“These are people that are foreigners, they’re illegally in our country, but not only that, they try to loot and ransack in the aftermath of a natural disaster.”
— Gov. Ron DeSantis on three Lee County looting suspects he says were “illegal aliens.”
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