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☆ Pro-DeSantis super PAC attacks Florida journalist for posting photo from his Disney cruise: 'You're bought and paid for by the groomers and Trump'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Taylor Berman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Florida Politics publisher Peter Schorsch posted a photo from a Disney cruise on Friday and tagged Ron DeSantis. A pro-DeSantis PAC quote tweeted the photo and accused Schorsch of being bribed by "groomers" and Trump. Today, a super PAC aligned with DeSantis attacked a Florida journalist for posting a photo from a Disney cruise. "We get it, you're bought and paid for by the groomers and Trump," Never Back Down tweeted at FloridaPolitics.com publisher Peter Schorsch, who had posted a photo from a Disney cruise he was on with his family. The person who initially posted the photo shared by Trump accused DeSantis of using alcohol for "grooming" high school girls.

Persons: Peter Schorsch, Ron DeSantis, Schorsch, DeSantis, —, Taryn Fenske, Anchorman's Ron Burgundy, kows, Jeff Roe, Roe, Matt Wolking, Peter, Chris Jankowski, Trump Organizations: Disney, Trump, Service, Florida Governor, GOP, ABC, Washington Post, Coalition, New York Times, Times, Harvard Law, The New York Times, Darlington School Locations: Florida, Mar, Georgia

☆ Now that DeSantis has made attacking 'woke' his signature move, Trump says he doesn't like the word because 'half the people' who use it 'can't even define it'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Donald Trump says he doesn't like the word "woke," despite using it many times in the past. Ron DeSantis appears to love using the word, boasting that "Florida is wear woke goes to die." "I don't like the term 'woke' because I hear 'woke woke woke' — you know it's like just a term they use, half the people can't even define it, they don't know what it is," Trump said. Trump has used the word "woke" countless times over the years in speeches, official statements, and online posts. Taryn Fenske, communications director for DeSantis, said woke was a "slang term for activism … progressive activism" as well as a belief in systemic injustices, Florida Politics reported.

Persons: Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, —, Trump, wokeness, Taryn Fenske, DeSantis, Ryan Newman Organizations: Service, Florida Gov, Kids, Employees, Florida Politics Locations: Florida, Urbandale , Iowa

☆ 5 reasons fighting Disney is a political winner for DeSantis — and 6 reasons it could hurt his shot at the presidency
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

It does a ton of business in China, which many GOP voters view as a threat to the US. DeSantis already ran on being anti-Disney — and wonTaryn Fenske, DeSantis' communications director, has described the Disney fight as being "the will of Florida voters." And they might not vote for DeSantis if they think the Disney fight is a killer in a general election. Families often work hard and save for years to take their children to Disney World. If DeSantis can't bring a resolution to the Disney fight, can he handle the job of president?

☆ Disney has a ‘strong case’ against DeSantis over his ‘retaliatory campaign,’ First Amendment experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Disney just cast Ron DeSantis as the villain in a story of good versus evil. DeSantis responded to the lawsuit by issuing a statement through his communications director, Taryn Fenske. “It’s a serious First Amendment case,” Floyd Abrams, the renowned First Amendment attorney of Pentagon Papers fame, told me. The truth is that characterizing Disney as a creepy company that aims to morally bankrupt kids has become a mainstream position in GOP media circles. DeSantis knows this — which is why he was happy to pick this battle with the company.

☆ Disney's Bob Iger is going nuclear on Ron DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Madeline Berg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Disney's Bob Iger escalated the conflict between the company and Florida's Ron DeSantis on Wednesday. It's the latest move in a feud that began last year over Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill. Buckle up for a roller coaster ride, because the feud between Disney's CEO Bob Iger and Florida's Ron DeSantis just got bumpier. This is the latest — and most drastic — move in the clash between DeSantis and Iger, who inherited the battle with Disney from his predecessor Bob Chapek. Spokespeople for both Disney and DeSantis declined to give any additional comment.

Disney alleges that DeSantis tried to "weaponize government power" over the company. It alleges that DeSantis' continued action against Disney "threatens Disney's business operations." Ron DeSantis on Wednesday, alleging that he tried to "weaponize government power" over the company. As retaliation to the Disney executives' pledges, DeSantis took aim at a decades-long provision that gives Disney special self-governing privileges in Florida. Unlike rival parks Universal Studios and Sea World, Disney doesn't have to run their plans by zoning commissions or building-inspection departments.

☆ Gavin Newsom heckles Ron DeSantis over latest Disney power struggle, on the Florida governor's home turf
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Gavin Newsom of California praised Walt Disney World for its "masterclass" of putting Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida "back in his place" after the company created a loophole to maintain control of its land. News broke this week that a law giving the Florida governor power to take over Disney World's governing board is likely toothless. Democratic governors frequently criticize DeSantis' policies in Florida, and DeSantis last month mocked people who do so yet "end up being spotted on the beach somewhere vacationing in Florida." As for a potential 2024 GOP nomination contest between the former president and DeSantis, Newsom predicted Trump would "clean his clock."

☆ Florida insiders react with shock, amusement, and dread after Disney outmaneuvers DeSantis to keep most of its power
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

It appears Walt Disney World won't be losing power over its land after all — at least not yet — following a high-profile battle with Republican Gov. "It was a pretty brilliant move by the outgoing board to basically take all the power away," one Florida-based lobbyist, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Insider. Ron DeSantis got married at Disney World in 2009. Aubrey Jewett, a political science professor at the University of Central Florida who co-authored the book "Politics in Florida," told Insider. The company told Insider in a statement that it was "discussed and approved in open, noticed public forums."

☆ Ron DeSantis' plan to take control of Disney's land backfired spectacularly because of a loophole in the agreement that may reduce his appointees to powerless functionaries
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ron DeSantis gained control of Walt Disney World's oversight district board in February. Ron DeSantis' move to take over Walt Disney World's governing board in Florida may have backfired due to a prior obscure agreement that new governor-appointed board members argue stripped them of their power. Disney also had the authority to appoint district board members. But the new supervisors are now saying that previous board members entered an agreement that effectively stripped them of their powers. "All these board members very much would like to see the type of entertainment that all families can appreciate."

☆ DeSantis warns Disney World he'll take a third swing at them after the company wrote in a loophole that collapsed his takeover plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

DeSantis warned that Disney hadn't seen the last of their feud: "There's more to come." "There's a lot of little back and forth going on now with the state control," DeSantis said, the audience booing at the mention of Disney. The governor-appointed board is talking to lawyersIn his new book, DeSantis has a chapter about the dust-up with Disney and how he retaliated against the company. He even revealed that he and his wife, Casey DeSantis, got married at Walt Disney World — a fact first reported by Insider. "The media STILL doesn't realize that Governor DeSantis always thinks 10 steps ahead," Christina Pushaw from the governor's rapid response team wrote on Twitter.

☆ Ron DeSantis is facing another ethics complaint — this time accusing him of accepting a $235,000, 3-day retreat to the Four Seasons Palm Beach
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Democrat Nikki Fried filed an ethics complaint on DeSantis accusing him of "accepting prohibited gifts." The complaint accused DeSantis of going on a $235,000 donor-funded retreat at the Four Seasons Palm Beach. On March 14, Trump's super PAC, MAGA Inc., filed a similar ethics complaint against DeSantis. Ron DeSantis has been hit with another ethics complaint — this time, from Nikki Fried, the Democratic Party chair in Florida. In her tweet, she accused DeSantis of improperly using funds from donors and "accepting prohibited gifts" from the DeSantis-linked political action committee, Friends of Ron DeSantis.

☆ A Trump super PAC filed an ethics complaint accusing Ron DeSantis of reaping 'personal financial gain' from his 'lucrative book tour'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Trump's Make America Great Again super PAC has filed an ethics complaint against pro-DeSantis PACs. Trump's team wants the Florida ethics commission to investigate if DeSantis' book tour was "unlawful." This ethics complaint kicks off the official dispute between Trump's camp and DeSantis' supporters. Make America Great Again Inc., a Trump-aligned super PAC, filed a complaint with the Florida ethics commission on Wednesday. "An investigation by the Florida Ethics Commission must occur as soon as possible."

☆ Trump super PAC accuses Ron DeSantis of 'shadow' presidential bid in ethics complaint
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A pro-Trump super PAC on Wednesday said it is filing an ethics complaint against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, accusing him of waging a "shadow presidential campaign" in violation of state ethics and election laws. "Governor DeSantis knows, or should know, that his shadow presidential campaign is illegal under federal election law, Florida ethics laws prohibiting illegal gifts from political committees, and Florida ethics laws prohibiting illegal lobbying payments," it said. The Florida ethics commission did not provide a comment on the letter. Five of the nine members of the Florida ethics commission were appointed by DeSantis, including Chairman Glenton Gilzean, to whom the letter is addressed.

☆ Ron DeSantis just notched a win in court. But the judge says he still violated a prosecutor’s free speech rights.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Marc Caputo | Marc Caputo Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +15 min

In a statement posted on Twitter, DeSantis' office lauded the ruling without addressing those nuances. By suspending Warren, DeSantis also elevated the Democrat’s political profile in his own party. And no one in Hillsborough County was charged with violating that state law when Warren was the county prosecutor. Court testimony from DeSantis administration officials showed that the abortion letter was the major cause of Warren's suspension. Abortion was the only issue mentioned in the first draft of DeSantis' suspension order.

☆ 'Don't Say Gay' feud advances with new proposed legislation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The notice serves as a procedural step in what has become a closely watched process between Disney and Florida. DeSantis and statehouse Republicans slammed Disney, saying the entertainment giant had become a purveyor of so-called woke ideologies that are inappropriate for children. The squabble marked a rare moment of discord between the state and Disney, one of Florida’s largest employers and a major political donor. It also provided another front in an ongoing culture war that has made DeSantis one of the nation’s most popular Republicans. Having a separate government allows the company to provide zoning, fire protection, utilities and infrastructure services on its sprawling property.

Ron DeSantis will seek to bring Disney's special governing district under direct state control in a bid to end the entertainment giant's multi-decade arrangement with the Sunshine State. In a document posted to the website of Osceola County, which also borders Orange County and Reedy Creek, notice was given that the proposed legislation would leave no current aspect of Reedy Creek untouched. Florida legislators already voted in a special session last year to dissolve all special districts like Reedy Creek in Florida by June 2023. In response, DeSantis and his allies in the Florida legislature announced they would seek to end the privileges Disney had enjoyed through the special district. “The state of Florida has been very important to us for a long time, and we have been very important to the state of Florida,” Iger said last month.

☆ Ron DeSantis will continue sending migrant flights to blue states after Florida recovers from Hurricane Ian damage, spokesperson says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Hannah Getahun | Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Florida will continue flying migrants out of the state, DeSantis' office confirmed Saturday. The state paid $1 million to charter migrant flights to Delaware and Illinois, documents show. Fenske told the Associated Press the program is active as officials responded to Hurricane Ian, a Category 4 hurricane that devastated Florida and other southeastern states. "While Florida has had all hands on deck responding to our catastrophic hurricane, the immigration relocation program remains active," Fenske told the Associated Press. According to documents released Friday by the Florida Department of Transportation, Florida paid $1 million to set up two more flights to Delaware and Illinois.

☆ Treasury investigates whether Florida used Covid aid to fly migrants to Martha's Vineyard
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Migrants gather after being flown in from Texas on a flight funded by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at Edgartown, Massachusetts, September 15, 2022. Treasury's Office of Inspector General is investigating whether Florida improperly used pandemic relief funds to fly Venezuelan migrants to the haughty resort island of Martha's Vineyard. They said the Florida Republican's $12 million relocation program is funded in part by interest earned off of the aid. Treasury's Deputy Inspector General, Richard Delmar, told the state Democratic members his office has already asked Florida for information about the state's use of that money. "I applaud the swift response from the Treasury's Office of the Inspector General," he said.

☆ The Treasury Department’s internal watchdog is looking into how DeSantis paid for migrant flights to Martha’s Vineyard
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

An internal government watchdog is looking into whether Florida misused federal funds to pay for migrant flights to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, last month under a program backed by Gov. Delmar also said the inspector general’s office would review what restrictions are in place for using the money, including interest earned, for immigration-related activities. Markey, who was among the group that signed on to the Sept. 16 letter demanding a probe, applauded the inspector general in a statement Wednesday. DeSantis has insisted that no laws were broken and pledged to continue his administration’s $12 million program to relocate migrants. "Reviews by Treasury are typical and, as stated by the OIG, are ‘part of its oversight responsibilities.’”NBC News has asked the Treasury Department for comment.

“This looks and smells like human trafficking,” said Ariadna Phillips, a New York community organizer with South Bronx Mutual Aid. On Tuesday, DeSantis said at a news conference that three of four people arrested last week for "ransacking" communities following Hurricane Ian were illegal immigrants who should be immediately deported. Remembering "horror stories" of immigrants not being paid for work or being deported following previous natural disasters, Phillips rushed to Queens. "Promises are often not kept to these workers," said Saket Soni, executive director of Resilience Workforce, a New Orleans group that advocates for and monitors migrant workers following natural disasters. In the days following Ian, Resilience Workforce deployed staff members to Florida to observe work conditions on the ground.

☆ DeSantis-appointed Florida official resigns after photo emerges appearing to show him in a Ku Klux Klan robe and hood: report
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A widely circulated photo appears to show Jeffery Moore in a Ku Klux Klan outfit. Moore resigned from his post on the Gadsden County Board of County Commissioners last week. Sheriff Morris Young told Politico that Moore didn't deny it was him in the photo when questioned. Ron DeSantis abruptly resigned on Friday after a photo that appeared to show him in a Ku Klux Klan robe and hood surfaced. Refuted nothing when I showed him the pictures," Young told Politico.

☆ Ron DeSantis violated state spending law when he spent Florida dollars to fly Venezuelan migrants to Martha's Vineyard, a new lawsuit says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The lawsuit accuses DeSantis of improperly using state funds by picking up migrants in Texas. Last year, the federal government sent 80 flights carrying migrants into Florida, according to Politico. The latest lawsuit, spanning 15 pages, was filed in state court in Leon County, where the state capital of Tallahassee is located. Pizzo filed the lawsuit in his personal capacity as a Florida resident. Pizzo filed his lawsuit against DeSantis, Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, and Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue.

☆ Migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard sue DeSantis in class action alleging fraud
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Migrants who were flown from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, under a new program by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sued DeSantis, a Republican, and other state officials Tuesday, alleging they were victims of fraud for political purposes. Taryn Fenske, a spokesperson for DeSantis, said in a statement that the migrants chose to board the flights. "The transportation of the immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard was done on a voluntary basis," Fenske said. DeSantis has insisted that no laws were broken, and he has pledged to continue his administration’s $12 million program to relocate migrants.

☆ Hakeem Jeffries rips DeSantis and Abbott, saying they need to act like governors and 'stop behaving like human traffickers'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Hakeem Jeffries ripped governors Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott over their shipping of migrants to liberal areas. "They should start behaving like governors and stop behaving like human traffickers," said Jeffries. Jeffries told reporters at a press conference that the "behavior" of Florida governor DeSantis and Texas governor Abbot "is radical, reckless, regressive, and reprehensible." "They should start behaving like governors and stop behaving like human traffickers," the New York congressman said. A Texas county sheriff announced Monday that he had launched a criminal investigation into the matter.

☆ Delaware prepares for potential arrival of migrants after DeSantis chartered flights to Martha's Vineyard
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. A Texas sheriff announced on Monday that he is opening a criminal investigation into the transport of migrants to Martha's Vineyard, saying they were "lured" with "promises of a better life." DeSantis had suggested in November that he could send migrants to Biden's home state of Delaware. Newsweek reportered on Tuesday that the same aircraft that flew migrants to Martha's Vineyard is bound for Delaware Coastal Airport in Sussex County, Delaware, "though there is no evidence at this time that migrants will be on board." Last week, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas tweeted "Rehoboth Beach, Delaware next" and tagged Abbott and DeSantis.

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