33 Comments
User's avatar
sgoliver's avatar

Keep digging---maybe Ron gave some of those millions to Big Daddy's Ballroom Fund, hoping to be invited. Indict him.

Val Smith's avatar

At what point does "bending the rules" become breaking them? Everyone involved in this should be prosecuted. Every Floridian has been screwed by this administration. Republican voters may not realize it, but their rights have been violated just the same as everyone else's.

SeaCorey's avatar

When someone who's not a republican does it - THAT'S when bending the rules becomes breaking them...

Ronnie L Goodson's avatar

This is the kind of activity one sees when criminals are running the government.

Sadly it is very unlikely that these criminals will ever be prosecuted for their crimes.

Alan Sharp's avatar

Yes, it’s called criminal Republicans

Janet Metcalf's avatar

Can any of these actions be prosecuted?

Robin Austin's avatar

Desanctimonious is as corrupt as all the rest of these Republican dipshits. But he and his equally corrupt wife are going down.

Day by day, I am becoming more confident that accountability is on the way.

Tropicaldaze's avatar

Okay, Sir….what can we do to help with this? Who do we call and where do we write? Will it even help at all? I’m so depressed over all this. Embarrassed to have all this evil taking over our democracy. As a 23-year retired combat disabled veteran who has been a proud American for her entire life, this is overwhelming.

J.C. Bruce's avatar

Be aware, which you already are, and continue to stay informed. And talk to others about what you have learned. If enough people do that, we can fix this. I have to believe that. And, thank you so much for your service to our country.

Kelly's avatar

Shouldn't this be illegal? The state shouldn't be allowed to pick a side on an issue that tax payers are deciding and use our own money to persuade people to vote against it? Especially money earmarked by the legislature specifically for other things.

J.C. Bruce's avatar

It certainly is deceitful. Illegal? I suppose we'll have to see what the grand jury decides.

Debra Michele De Luca's avatar

If this is actually true it is disgraceful behavior!

John Skaggs's avatar

Is Desantis above the law? Can he be prosecuted for these actions?

J.C. Bruce's avatar

A grand jury is looking into this right now.

Tedder130's avatar

I think that Ron De Sainthood never learned the moral benefits of controlling his greed* and seems to revel in the "greed is good" call supposedly made my Gordon Gekko on Wall Street.

*'greed' is not just lust for money, but also lust for control, for power. The governor hits them all.

The AI Architect's avatar

Outstanding reporting on the scale of fund diversion here. The cascade from child welfare trusts to Strategic Digital Services really underscores how political advertising can blur the lines betwen governance and campaigning. I remeber working on a local ballot measure where the county quietly used "public information" budgets for what was essentialy campaign messaging, though nothing close to $35M. What's wild is how close those amendments came, 57% for reproductive rights is alot of votes to flip with strategic ad placement right before election day.

Kathryn Ann Williams's avatar

why do we even have laws or rules? Oh,, I see they are for the immigrants the poor and the middle class law abiding folks,,THERE IS NO FREE STATE OF FLORIDA,,

TR's avatar

Disgusting. What is the Florida AG doing about this? No more sleep walking on the job. No more slick and slimy legal argument's! Follow the money; repay the taxpayers, strip the PAC’s and charities involved of their tax exemptions, then hold the directors accountable

J.C. Bruce's avatar

The Florida AG is DeSantis' former chief of staff who, it is alleged, helped funnel the Hope Florida funds to make the ads used to defeat the ballot initiatives. He was appointed to the AG job by DeSantis.

Daniel P Gallucci's avatar

As commented earlier, I agree with you 100%.

Elizabeth Jakob's avatar

WTAF ?!?!?

Kikis Komments's avatar

Look, while DeSantis and everyone should be prosecuted and sent to prison the only thing that will stop this is to vote blue and convince everyone around you to do the same.

I can dream