Latest news with #FloridaCommissiononEthics
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DeSantis reappoints Moms for Liberty cofounder to Florida ethics commission
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is attempting to put Moms for Liberty cofounder Tina Descovich on the Florida Commission on Ethics for the second time. DeSantis previously appointed Descovich to the board in 2023, but in a rare instance of defying the governor's wishes, the Republican-dominated Florida Senate shot it down the following year. Lakeland woman who said 'delay, deny, depose' in call to insurance company has charge dropped The Florida Commission on Ethics 'serves as the guardian of the standards of conduct for officers and employees of Florida and its political subdivisions,' according to the commission's website. The board is intended to be an 'independent commission' that investigates 'complaints of breach of the public trust by public officers and employees.' Senators expressed concerns over Descovich's affiliation with the conservative activist group she cofounded, though she told a senate panel she views her role on the ethics commission to be separate from her work with Moms for Liberty. Moms for Liberty emerged on the Florida political scene as a parental rights organization, decrying what it called 'woke indoctrination,' which included COVID lockdowns, teachers unions and 'pornographic' books. The group rose to prominence by inundating school board meetings with its supporters and codifying their policy demands in legislation like the state's Parental Rights in Education Act, or the so-called 'Don't Say Gay' bill. Descovich once again faces scrutiny by the state senate, which rejected a special session called by DeSantis last month, indicating that the legislature may not move in lockstep with the governor as it has in years past. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida Democrats file bills to ban using state funds on ballot measures
Signs for and against the state constitutional amendment have become a common sight throughout Kansas this summer. Credit: (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector). Courtesy of the Kansas Reflector. In an effort to thwart the proposed constitutional amendments that would have legalized recreational cannabis and protect abortion rights last year, state agencies in Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration ended up spending tens of millions of taxpayer dollars on public service announcements to campaign against those measures. That's despite the fact there are already laws on the books in Florida that ban state employees and agency heads from using their official authority to influence or interfere in elections. Nevertheless, if state employees and the agencies they work for are found to be doing that in the future, they would face serious sanctions, including potentially being removed from their job and having their agency's funding reduced under a bill (HB 727) filed by Tampa Bay area Democrat Rep. Michele Rayner on Wednesday. Her measure, titled the 'Public Resource Election Neutrality Act,' would ban any state department or agency from producing, disseminating, or funding any public service announcement (PSA) related to a statewide ballot initiative. The Florida Commission on Ethics 'may' investigate complaints of violations of the law. All state agencies would also have to maintain records of PSAs produced or funded during the 12 months preceding a general election and make the records available to the public. Meanwhile, another bill (SB 860), labeled the 'Broadcast Freedom Protection Act' by Democratic Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, was also introduced on Wednesday. Under his proposal, any elected or appointed state official found to be interfering with broadcasters' decisions to air political campaign advertisements, 'particularly those related to statewide ballot initiatives,' would face third degree felony charges. They also could be removed from office and permanently disqualified from holding any subsequent elected or appointed office. The legislation also allows the Florida Commission on Ethics to investigate complaints alleging the law's been broken. The bills come after DeSantis was criticized last year for using taxpayer dollars to campaign against the cannabis ballot initiative, Amendment 3, and the abortion proposal, Amendment 4. Both measures ultimately received more than 50% support from the voters, but less than the 60% threshold required for passage. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Smart & Safe Florida, the advocacy group advocating for Amendment 3, claimed that the state government had spent $50 million in taxpayer dollars to campaign against the proposal. The Miami Herald reported that the Department of Children and Families had spent $4 million to pay a marketing agency for an 'advertising campaign aimed at educating Floridian families and youth about the dangers of marijuana, opioid, and drug use.' Though the ads never explicitly mentioned Amendment 3, those ads aired last September, as the campaign for the measure was receiving heavy news coverage. The DeSantis administration did not stop there, though. The Florida Department of Health went as far as threatening legal action against TV stations that aired ads in support of Amendment 4 and was taken to court over its actions. A federal judge ruled in that specific case that the state was 'trampling' on free speech rights and blocked the agency from continuing to threaten broadcasters. The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) also created a website whose homepage included language stating that 'Amendment 4 Threatens Women's Safety.' Democrats unsuccessfully demanded that it be removed. Later South Florida Democratic Sen. Jason Pizzo filed a lawsuit alleging that the Florida Department of Transportation improperly spent state money to oppose Amendment 4 last fall, but a Leon County Circuit Court Judge dismissed the lawsuit. The agencies actions weren't just criticized by Democrats. 'No matter where you stand on this issue, this is still a democracy. We do not spend taxpayer dollars in advance of a political issue,' Sarasota Republican state Sen. Joe Gruters said on a Zoom conference in October. 'Tax dollars are meant to be spent on our police, schools, roads, and other public programs that make our state great, not political agendas.' Meanwhile, DeSantis appears intent on pushing legislation that would make it harder for citizen-led initiatives to get on the statewide ballot by placing restrictions on how the signature petition process works. The Florida Department of State produced a report last fall alleging that the group behind Amendment 4, Floridians Protecting Freedom, was guilty of 'widespread election fraud,' and was slapped with a $328,000 fine that the group ultimately paid. 'The petition fraud, and making sure that that is reformed so that this process doesn't run amok, is something that's very important,' DeSantis said at a press conference in Tallahassee on Wednesday. 'I absolutely think you'll see the speaker and the president of the senate work towards enacting really strong reforms in that respect, I do think that that's something that's very important. We gotta get that done.' Meanwhile, Smith also filed a bill on Wednesday that would reduce the threshold to pass constitutional amendments in Florida from 60% to 50% SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE .
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Palm Beach County sheriff candidate Lauro Diaz fined for failing to disclose $1 million in assets
The Florida Commission on Ethics has levied a $500 fine against Lauro Diaz, a Republican candidate in last year's county sheriff election, for failing to disclose more than $1 million in assets on his campaign finance statement. The commission acted on a complaint filed by John Saroka of Wellington who pointed out that a filing by Diaz listed his net assets at $1.4 million while Diaz only listed assets of $338,000 — $138,000 in household goods and personal effects, $50,000 in cash and $150,000 in income from the Florida Retirement System. State law requires assets greater than $1,000 to be included. Saroka acknowledged to the commission that he came across the Diaz discrepancies while doing research for Michael Gauger, a Republican who defeated Diaz in the GOP primary. The complaint resulted in the state Ethics Commission charging Diaz with filing an inaccurate report; and the commission deciding to impose the $500 fine for violating the ethics code. Diaz did not challenge the ruling or dispute the finding that he violated state campaign finance laws. At issue was the Form 6, filed with the state agency, that requires all candidates seeking elected office or holding office to reveal their net worth, and to itemize their income and liabilities. Diaz was involved in a bitter primary battle with Gauger. Republican Diaz subsequently endorsed Democrat Sheriff Ric Bradshaw in the general election. Bradshaw was reelected in November by 15 points, defeating Gauger. In 2020, Diaz, as the Republican candidate, was soundly defeated by Bradshaw. Diaz told The Post last year that he found out about the Saroka complaint from The Palm Beach Post, noting that his report was accepted the way it was presented, and questioned why that would be if it was filed incorrectly. But following the state Ethics Commission investigation, Diaz admitted he failed to include the value of two houses he owns in Florida — one in Lake Placid and another in Loxahatchee. That accounted for the $1.1 million discrepancy. Saroka filed the complaint against Diaz shortly before the Republican primary. Gauger defeated Diaz by eight percentage points but the win was due to a strong showing by Gauger on vote-by-mail ballots. Diaz, as part of the settlement with the state Ethics Commission, agreed to ensure that future reports, should he again seek elected office, will be filed accurately. Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government. You can reach him at mdiamond@ Help support local journalism. Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida sheriff candidate fined for failing to disclose $1M in assets
