'Who paid for these flights?' Mystery surrounds how DeSantis' massive travel tab is being settled

Matthew Chapman
May 02, 2023



Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaking at Lynchburg, Virginia, on April 14, 2023. (Shutterstock.com)


Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is jetting around the country and abroad ahead of a widely-anticipated 2024 presidential campaign — but no one seems to know who is paying for it, reported POLITICO on Tuesday.

"In late February, a jet owned by the company associated with the Fontainebleau Hotel flew from Tallahassee to Newark ahead of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appearance on Staten Island. That same day a jet owned by a central Florida developer flew from Newark to Philadelphia to Chicago to Tallahassee when the governor also made stops that same day in Pennsylvania and Illinois," reported Gary Fineout.

"Who paid for these flights? The governor’s office said no taxpayer money was spent on these flights in connection with DeSantis’ three-city stop that day. A spokesperson who has been affiliated with the governor’s political operation declined to comment. There was nothing listed in the governor’s political committee campaign finance report for February."

The only thing DeSantis is revealing about the trips is that they are not taxpayer-funded, said the report — but the actual way they're being funded is unclear.

"Meanwhile, flight tracking records show that a private chartered jet last week flew from Austin, Texas, to Japan to South Korea to Israel to London and then, over the weekend, stopped in Boston before finally winding up in Tallahassee. Those stops coincide with the governor’s movements for the past week," said the report.

"It has been previously stated that this trip is being paid for by private donations to Enterprise Florida, the public-private economic development agency that is about to be dismantled by the Legislature. But a spokesperson for Enterprise Florida has not responded to questions as to why a chartered jet — which is likely to be tremendously expensive — was used for DeSantis’ trip. The agency was also asked about how much this will ultimately cost."

All of this comes as the legislature is advancing legislation that would carve a hole in Florida's rigorous public transparency laws, allowing DeSantis to conceal security and transportation expenses, a move that would hide information not just about travel but "personal information unrelated to the official duties of the protected person" — which would include campaign stops and meetings with donors, and even apply retroactively to trips and meetings he has already taken. Republicans claim this is necessary to protect DeSantis' security and safety.

"In the not-so-distant past news organizations uncovered questionable uses of the state jet for a variety of top Florida politicians, including then-Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink and then-Attorney General Bill McCollum. That led to candidate and then Gov. Rick Scott to sell off Florida’s state-owned jets. It was easy for Scott to do that since he owned a private jet," noted the report. "But soon after DeSantis was elected, state legislators reversed that. They are now poised to put a cloak of darkness over all of it."

https://www.rawstory.com/desantis-2659940427/

 

Oop! Ron DeSantis's Own Memoir Comes Back To Bite Him In Disney Battle




The battle between Disney and Ron DeSantis is taking a pretty hilarious turn, as the former uses the governor’s own memoir against him in their recent lawsuit.

Last week, Disney accused DeSantis of launching a “targeted campaign of government retaliation” in response to the company’s belated opposition to his “Don’t Say Gay” bill last year. Within two months of then-CEO Bob Chapek decision to speak out, DeSantis then dissolved a longstanding agreement that gave Disney jurisdiction over the infrastructure needs and responsibilities of the area in which Disney World is located — despite concerns over the burden the change could place on local taxpayers.

DeSantis and Disney have gone back-and-forth in the intermediary months, each trying to strong arm the other into doing what they want. But for every loophole Disney has found, DeSantis has simply had his government void their contracts.


His efforts have been interpreted by just about everyone as political retaliation from the start, and his ego in boasting as much may end up being his downfall. In the lawsuit filed last week, lawyers for Disney cited numerous passages from DeSantis’s recently released memoir that they claim make up an outright admittance of political retaliation — and could amount to a violation of free speech.



“They quote extensively from Governor DeSantis' own memoir which is extremely damning in terms of revealing intentions with state actions.”




“One of the most damning of all. Ron DeSantis blatantly hinting that the new Reedy Creek board would try to exert control over content produced by Disney.”

The possibility that the governor’s own desperation to pander to a rightwing base could backfire in such a practical way has become a source of amusement on social media after watching this all play out so transparently for the past year.




“It's going to be hard for DeSantis to claim that he was misquoted in his own memoir. Or that the quotes are taken out of context given how clearly they lay out that his actions were punishment against Disney speaking out against a bill. He's hosed.”




“Ron de Santis probably regretting titling that chapter in his memoir “How I Targeted Disney Through A Vindictive Campaign of Government Backed Harassment” now”



“Disney lawyers for the last few months reading DeSantis' memoir”




“The funny thing about this is that there actually is a passage in DeSantis' memoir where he discusses his private talks with Republicans in the state legislature about how they're going to singly target Disney with governmental action.”

DeSantis’s handpicked Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board has countersued Disney with the claim that the Reedy Creek Board did not take the necessary steps before creating an agreement that the CFTOD has since voted to overturn with DeSantis’s support.

“Since Disney sued us…we have no choice now but to respond,” said chairman Martin Garcia.

Maybe the folks in Florida should consider that continuing to publicly frame all your legal moves as retaliation isn’t always the best play. On the other hand, it does make things far more interesting for the rest of us.


https://www.yahoo.com/news/oop-ron-desantiss-own-memoir-135142039.html

 

Didja see?
Florida is now suing Disney.
Let the good times roll!

 

Leaked video shows frustrated DeSantis worrying about Trump voters: 'I have to figure out how to do this'

Tom Boggioni
May 07, 2023



Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaking at Lynchburg, Virginia, on April 14, 2023. (Shutterstock.com)


In a leaked video of 2018 debate prep obtained by ABC News, now-Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) expressed frustration at his inability to respond to test questions in a way that wouldn't "piss off' Donald Trump voters.

According to the report, DeSantis was working with Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) to get ready for a debate as he made his first bid for statewide office and was struggling over how to "not alienate Donald Trump's base."

"Is there any issue upon which you disagree with President Trump?" DeSantis is asked by Gaetz during the mock debate sessions, with ABC reporting, "'I have to figure out how to do this,' then-Congressman DeSantis replied, while letting out a deep sigh."

He then complained, "Obviously there is, because I mean I voted contrary to him in the Congress. I have to frame it in a way that's not going to piss off all his voters."

ALSO IN THE NEWS: Texas GOPer 'needs to be removed from office' over 'unconscionable' Allen shooting remarks: colleague

The report notes, "ABC News obtained nearly two and a half hours of raw internal tapes of DeSantis' 2018 debate prep sessions that have not previously been made public. His comments in the videos provide a rare glimpse into how the Florida governor, who is now poised to enter the 2024 Republican primary, had previously calculated how to effectively appeal to Donald Trump's fiercely loyal base while also working to carve out his own lane as a candidate — a balance that DeSantis may need to hone if he is to secure the party's nomination in 2024."

DeSantis also worried about how some of his answers would play to the audience.

"At another point in the session, DeSantis dismisses some of his team's suggestions regarding how to hit at his opponent," ABC reported, with DeSantis stating, "Some of the ones that are digs, I don't think they work. I think it makes me look like an assh---."

You can read more here.

https://www.rawstory.com/desantis-trump-2659975910/

 

Isn't it considered spam when a member posts the same stuff in multiple threads?

 

I'm still eagerly awaiting the debates between Trump and Desantis. Watching a trumptard going up against Trump will be a very interesting spectacle. But it won't be easy for Desantis. He's a trumptard from the Trump tree. So how does he take on little big man without looking like a traitor to the MAGA trumptards.

 

I think you nailed it. Just look at the leaded video. It was back in 2018 and DeSantis was trying to figure out how to not piss off the Trump voters. And here it is nearly five years later and he still can't figure out how to do it and wants to take Trump on

I am beginning to think DeSantis might not even try to run against Trump because Trump has him by the balls and is squeezing hard.

 

Disney expands lawsuit against DeSantis

Gideon Rubin
May 08, 2023



Florida Governor Rob DeSantis speaks at the University of Miami in 2019. (Shutterstock.com)


Disney has expanded its lawsuit against Ron DeSantis, accusing the Florida governor of doubling down on a “retribution campaign” against the theme park by signing legislation Friday that voids the company’s development deals, CNBC reports.

The amended lawsuit notes that Florida’s GOP-controlled Legislature also passed a measure that calls for state inspections of Walt Disney World’s monorails.

Disney alleges that DeSantis in 2022 launched a campaign of retribution after the company publicly criticized the state’ controversial “Don’t Say Gay” law that limits discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools.

Disney first filed the civil complaint against DeSantis last month in U.S. District Court in Tallahassee.

IN OTHER NEWS: Judge blocks Trump from posting details about Stormy Daniels case to social media

“Governor DeSantis and his allies have no apparent intent to moderate their retaliatory campaign any time soon,” Disney wrote Monday in additions to the complaint.

The company alleges that DeSantis and his allies targeted Disney’s special tax district, formerly called the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

Disney’s status as a special tax district allowed the company to self-govern its Orlando operations for decades.

“The drawn-out feud spilled into the courts after the district’s new board of supervisors, which had been hand-picked by DeSantis, voted to nullify development deals that Disney struck shortly before they replaced the old board,” Kevin Breuninger and Sarah Whitten report for CNBC.

“The governor’s board members claimed the deals were unlawfully passed and undercut their power over the 25,000-acre area. But Disney says the contracts were crafted to help lock in its long-term development plans amid escalating tension with DeSantis and his allies.”



https://www.rawstory.com/desantis-disney-legal-battle/

 

Didja see?
Disney is going to pack up disney world and run for Georgia!
Talk about attitude ........
But say, gotta ask.
Are the antifa terrorists gonna occupy in the name of the enviornment and shoot more cops?
And will the Biden administration offer their support?

 

What about those trumptard terrorists who violently supported Trump's attempted treason. And how many died on Jan 6th. So Trump has blood on his hands. Yet trumptards still wholeheartedly support Trump. So shooter can get off his high horse when it comes to domestic terrorists.

 

The camp follower has one message.
Played endlessly.
With no proof but her propaganda and her screeching.
So insecure she demands confirmation from all who dare not join her.

 

Sorry but voter fraud on a presidential level, just doesn't go away. So I ask again, on what proof did Trump get a mob of trumptards to storm our national capital on Jan 6th?

Enlighten us

 

Attagirl
Dismissed

 

Attaboy

 

A solution to a non-existent problem?

https://winknews.com/2023/05/12/mix...mpanies-from-tracking-gun-and-ammo-purchases/

 

It's a shame truthless isn't here anymore (well he maybe here, but not as truthless) to tell us about how his big idea is going.

Truthless's great Italian governor ron sanctimonious who can't even win a fight against Mickey Mouse.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/15/ron-desantis-florida-laws-presidential-run

It's good to be the King of Florida! Don't like a rule? Get your legislature to write a law that exempts you! Don't like government being weaponized but you've got enemies that must be put in their place? Just get your legislature to write a law specially targeting that enemy, but make sure it's not called weaponizing...