DeSantis tops $2M net worth

Politico

02-07-2025

Good morning and welcome to Wednesday.
Gov. RON DESANTIS is now worth nearly $2.1 million, thanks in large part to a $625,500 payment from his book publisher.
The seven-figure bottom line was listed in his financial disclosure posted Tuesday on the state's ethics commission website.
Among the other revelations: The governor still doesn't own any property or stocks, and he has continued to pay off his student loans with just more than $15,000 left to go. Last year, he still owed $17,000 from his Ivy league education at Yale University and Harvard Law School.
The governor's finances are far more straightforward than many other elected officials, and he comes from a family of modest means. Many members of the Legislature, for instance, tend to hold down full-time jobs in addition to their public service and list inheritances, businesses or properties that they have stakes in. Some also list credit card debt, car payments, crypto or gambling winnings. DeSantis has stated for years that he thinks it's improper for elected officials to own stocks because the public might think it influences their decision-making.
Three years ago, DeSantis had just $319,000 to his name. At a salary of $141,400 a year, he makes less money than many of his deputies in the executive office. DeSantis' salary is also lower than the $174,000 he was making when he was in Congress.
'The Courage to Be Free,' the book DeSantis wrote about his life and policy accomplishments ahead of launching his presidential campaign, made him a good deal richer than he used to be. And the latest financial disclosure shows he continued to earn cash from it last year, though it doesn't specify whether the payment was from royalties, part of a split advance from publisher HarperCollins or both. He received a $1.25 million advance from the company in 2022.
The disclosure reflects the amount of money DeSantis had at the end of 2024, as is required under state law. That means if he had purchased property in 2025, it wouldn't show up until he posts his final disclosure in July 2026.
The governor will be term-limited out of office after the 2026 election, and it's not clear where his political career will take him next. Even at a higher net worth, Florida has become a great deal more expensive since DeSantis moved into the governor's mansion in 2019, due to higher property insurance rates, a flood of people moving into the state, inflation that includes higher building costs and higher property taxes that come from increasing property values (something DeSantis is pushing the Legislature and voters to fix).
But if Florida first lady CASEY DESANTIS were to run for governor and win, then the DeSantises would not need to move out of the governor's mansion come January 2027. Personal financial disclosure laws don't require elected officials to post their spouses' earnings and net worth, but the federal disclosure DeSantis had to submit in August 2023 when he was running for president required it, and showed Florida's first lady didn't have any income or stock holdings.
Some DeSantis allies hope he still has a future in the Trump administration, especially after a friendly event the president held with him Tuesday in Florida, where the president told DeSantis the two of them have 'blood that seems to match pretty well.'
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget that Playbook should look at? Get in touch at: [e-mail].
... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ...
FUTURE SPEAKER — Republican state Rep. MIKE REDONDO was just elected by his House colleagues to be the chamber's speaker after the 2030 elections, reports Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics. The vote took place in Tampa as members met together over a meal.
Redondo told Florida Politics it was 'the honor of a lifetime to have the confidence and trust of such a talented and accomplished group of leaders who are champions for their communities.'
'It's truly a special group,' he added. 'I'm excited for us to work together over the coming years to keep Florida on the right track.'
ALLIES AT 'ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ' — Trump praised DeSantis on Tuesday as he toured 'Alligator Alcatraz,' telling the public their battles during the 2024 presidential primary were long behind them.
He even joked DeSantis would make a strong replacement for JEROME POWELL, the chair of the Federal Reserve whose term ends next year.
'You're my friend and you'll always be my friend,' Trump said to DeSantis as he kicked off a roundtable after taking a tour of the detention facility.
Asked by reporters about the relationship, Trump joked that he 'didn't notice' the battles they fought during the last presidential primary. He described the relationship with the governor as 'a 10 — maybe a 9.9 because there might be a couple of little wounds. I think we have a 10. We get along great.'
… AND LOVE FOR AG — Trump also praised state Attorney General JAMES UTHMEIER for coming up with the 'Alligator Alcatraz' idea. While Uthmeier didn't join the president for a tour of the facility, he did sit at the front of the room for the roundtable and got an effusive acknowledgement from the president — which is encouraging to his campaign to keep his role in 2026.
'You do a very good job,' Trump told Uthmeier. 'I hear good things about you from Ron, too. He's even a good looking guy. The guy's got a future.'
BACKLASH OVER HARMING FRAGILE ECOSYSTEM — 'Environmentalists on Tuesday pushed back on President Donald Trump's praise and Florida officials' defense of choosing a site in the Everglades for an immigration detention facility,' reports POLITICO's Bruce Ritchie.
DESANTIS GETS APPROVAL FOR KEY PRIORITY — 'Trump on Tuesday said he would approve Florida's plan to expedite deportations by having qualified National Guard members work as immigration judges,' reports Romy Ellenbogen of the Tampa Bay Times and Ana Ceballlos of the Miami Herald. 'For months now, DeSantis has sought the approval of the federal government to deputize Florida National Guard Judge Advocate General Corps. officers to act as immigration judges.'
TAKING A CLOSER LOOK — Several disaster relief contractors working on 'Alligator Alcatraz' don't have detention experience but have made significant contributions to DeSantis' political operations, per Michael Smith, Sophie Alexander and Rachel Adams-Heard of Bloomberg News as well as Andrew Perez and Nikki McCann Ramirez of Rolling Stone.
NEXT FACILITY COMING SOON — After the Fourth of July weekend, the state will begin building the second immigration detention center in Camp Blanding in Clay County, where the Florida National Guard's primary training base is located, reports Ana Goñi-Lessan of USA Today Network — Florida.
RETALIATION? Some lawmakers who'd been critical of DeSantis found a huge swath of their projects vetoed by DeSantis in the budget, report Lawrence Mower and Romy Ellenbogen of the Tampa Bay Times.
A couple of targets: 'Fourteen projects in Republican Rep. Alex Andrade's Pensacola district were cut after he spent much of the legislative session investigating one of DeSantis' top priorities, Hope Florida … Rep. Vicki Lopez, a Miami Republican who was outspoken against some of DeSantis' executive agency heads, saw more than half of her proposed projects vetoed, including $100,000 for a local boater safety program and $445,000 for a food access program.'
MORE MOVES ON BUDGET AND LAWS
— 'DeSantis vetoed a far-reaching bill Tuesday that would have imposed new restrictions on state workers and appointees of the governor, a response by state legislators after contentious hearings and probes into actions by DeSantis,' reports POLITICO's Gary Fineout.
'The veto is not a surprise since DeSantis railed against an earlier version of the measure as 'asinine' and an attempt to force out high-ranking agency heads such as state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo.
'In his veto message, DeSantis contended a portion of the bill placing new requirements on university boards and the board that oversees the state university system was unconstitutional.'
— 'Black history, minority teacher scholarships, Black Men feel brunt of Gov. DeSantis' veto pen,' reports Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics.
— 'DeSantis slashes public TV and radio funding,' reports Stephany Matat of USA Today Network — Florida.
— 'Florida's Boater Freedom Act could harm fisheries, impede conservation, critics say,' by Jack Prator of the Tampa Bay Times.
NINTH DEATH WARRANT — 'In what could be a record ninth execution this year in Florida, DeSantis on Tuesday signed a death warrant for a man convicted of using a crowbar and a machete to murder his wife and two children in 1994 in Okaloosa County,' reports Jim Saunders of News Service of Florida.
'Edward Zakrzewski, 60, is slated to be executed July 31 at Florida State Prison. He received three death sentences in the murders of his wife, Sylvia, his 7-year-old son Edward and his 5-year-old daughter Anna, according to documents posted Tuesday evening on the Florida Supreme Court website.'
PENINSULA AND BEYOND
WORST HOUSING MARKET IN AMERICA — 'Home prices for Cape Coral-Fort Myers have tumbled 11 percent in the two years through May, the most of any major metro area, according to an analysis for The Wall Street Journal by the listing site Homes.com,' reports WSJ's Deborah Acosta.
CUTTING IT OFF — Key West commissioners voted this week to end an agreement that allows local officials to help with federal immigration enforcement, reports David Dwork of WPLG Local 10 News. Uthmeier has said all local governments need to participate in the agreement under state law, and issued a warning shot over X imploring them to choose 'the easy way, not the hard way.'
...HURRICANE HOLE...
SOGGY STARS AND STRIPES — 'A tropical system could take shape over Florida over the next several days, forecasters said,' reports Bill Kearney of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. 'South Florida's July Fourth weekend will likely have 'plentiful rainfall' regardless of whether the tropical system forms or not. The week will see between a 30 percent and 60 percent chance of rain most days. Those odds will rise to 70 percent on Saturday.'
CAMPAIGN MODE
ANOTHER CANDIDATE FOR GOV? 'In speaking to The Floridian Reporter Liv Caputo, Commissioner Simpson stated that he was focused on fulfilling his commitment or job as AG commissioner, but left his option to run for governor open. Simpson said, 'We'll see about that next year' when as if he would run for governor in 2026.
DATELINE D.C.
TAX AND SPENDING CUTS PASS — Senate Republicans on Tuesday narrowly passed their version of the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' Act after working through the night, reports POLITICO's Jordain Carney.
Sens. RICK SCOTT and ASHLEY MOODY of Florida both supported the legislation, with Moody touting provisions she pushed for including funding for more tax credits that help pay for students to use vouchers and money that will allow states to get more expenses reimbursed when they help the federal government with immigration enforcement activities.
An amendment from Scott that would have reduced how much the federal government pays for Medicaid expansion (which isn't offered in Florida) did not end up getting a vote amid GOP opposition, Jordain and POLITICO's Robert King report.
Scott in a statement encouraged his colleagues to 'keep fighting to fully ensure Medicaid funding goes to poor children, the disabled, and those with chronic illnesses,' saying it was unfair the government only matched as little as 50 percent of costs for the original Medicaid population but 90 percent for the expanded population — a group that qualifies based on income rather than disability, pregnancy status or whether someone works.
About the passed legislation: 'In addition to extending the president's 2017 tax cuts, the bill includes scaled-down versions of his campaign priorities, such as 'no tax on tips,' while overhauling social safety-net programs, and providing new border and military spending. It also hikes the federal debt ceiling by $5 trillion,' Jordain writes.
What's next: 'The package still needs to get through the House, which is expected to start voting as soon as Wednesday, driving Republicans right down to the wire on their self-imposed July 4 deadline.'
TRANSITION TIME
— KAILYN MCBRIDE is now communications director for Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.). She most recently was digital director/press secretary for Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.).
ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN
BIRTHDAY: Chuck Nadd, Army veteran and former Florida agriculture commissioner candidate.