News : POLITICO Florida Playbook: More turmoil surrounds Florida Democrats — Pressure mounts over rep who doubted Parkland shooting

Tuesday, February 2, 2021

POLITICO Florida Playbook: More turmoil surrounds Florida Democrats — Pressure mounts over rep who doubted Parkland shooting — Super Bowl, superspreader?

Feb 02, 2021

Good Tuesday morning.

The daily rundown — Between Sunday and Monday, the number of Florida coronavirus cases increased by 5,730 (0.3 percent), to 1,727,107; active hospitalizations went up by 42 (nearly 0.7 percent), to 6,143; deaths rose by 206 (nearly 0.8 percent), to 26,685.

Straight, no chaser — Can it get any worse for Florida Democrats? Apparently so.

Troubling situation — The Florida Democratic Party's finances were in such shambles that late last year party officials allowed health insurance for its employees to lapse. To compound the error, POLITICO's Matt Dixon reported, some employees piled up medical bills and scheduled appointments without knowing their coverage had been canceled. In an interview with Matt, the new party chair, Manny Diaz, promised to reinstate coverage and pay the bills.

All a mix-up — The policy was never "canceled," former party chair Terrie Rizzo said in a late-night text. "The party had the funds to pay the November health insurance bill, we paid it, and I have only recently been told that there was a delay in the check being applied, but the insurance provider is sending out a letter explaining that all policies will be honored and the January report will reflect the payment."

Stop digging? — This news comes just a couple of weeks after Diaz terminated two-thirds of the party employees even though party officials contend it is a "temporary" reduction. Diaz took over in January amid the fallout over Florida Democrats disastrous 2020 cycle that saw Donald Trump convincingly carry the state and the party lose legislative and congressional seats. And all of this came months after the reckless and questionable decision by party leaders to sign off on applying for a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program.

Past is prologue — In some ways, this sequence of recent events is almost as bad as the revelation in 2003 that Florida Democrats failed to pay their federal taxes amid an accounting mess that resulted in the IRS placing a lien on the party's holdings.

The challenge ahead — Those who backed Diaz as chair touted him as a turnaround artist by citing his work as Miami's mayor. Diaz has acknowledged that an overhaul of the party will require a significant fundraising effort. OK, good luck with that. A long line of previous party leaders vowed to bring in donors and it didn't materialize. Meanwhile, no well-known Democrats appear ready to challenge Sen. Marco Rubio. Gov. Ron DeSantis' job approval ratings are in positive territory and he continues to pile up cash ahead of 2022. And redistricting will be here before you know it. As Tania Ingram, the party's former deputy training director, told Matt: "The party is in a lot of trouble … They are a hot mess."

— WHERE'S RON? — Gov. DeSantis will be in Tallahassee for a meeting with the Florida Cabinet.

Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: gfineout@politico.com

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TRAIL MIX

'MISMANAGEMENT AND INHUMANE' — "'F---ing livid': Florida Democratic Party chair pledges to fix insurance lapse that blindsided staff," by POLITICO's Matt Dixon: The cash-strapped Florida Democratic Party allowed health insurance for its employees to lapse late last year, leaving some staff unable to pay medical bills and rattling the already struggling organization anew. Insurance for employees of the state party ended on Nov. 30, according to records and staffers interviewed by POLITICO. The decision left many staff unknowingly without health coverage for weeks. Some had piled up medical bills they'd later be on the hook for as they scheduled post-election procedures and appointments believing they had coverage, according to interviews with seven current and former party staffers and officials."

Late night response — Former Florida Democratic Party executive director Juan Peñalosa late Monday night responded to the news by firing back at Diaz, saying the "fact the party had exhausted its resources after a tough election year was not a secret." Penalosa added, "for the current chair to point fingers, when he let 2/3 of our hardworking staff go in the middle of a pandemic, essentially busting a union contract we spent negotiating, is disingenuous." Like Rizzo, Penalosa said "we did not cancel health insurance" and that instead the check was "delayed" and will show up in an upcoming financial report.

OVER — "Florida legal battle over Spanish-language ballots ends," by POLITICO's Gary Fineout: A protracted legal battle to ensure Puerto Ricans now living in Florida have access to Spanish-language ballots ended on Monday. U.S. Chief District Judge Mark Walker dismissed the more than two-year lawsuit after election supervisors in 31 counties reached a settlement with several nonprofit advocacy groups and the Puerto Rican resident who initiated the legal challenge. Under the terms of the settlement, which will remain in effect for 10 years, local election officials agreed to provide Spanish-language ballots and related materials and provide assistance to Spanish-speaking voters, including access to a county hotline and a translated version of the supervisor's website. "The right to vote is an empty vote if you can't vote in a language you understand," said Stuart Naifeh, senior counsel for Demos, one of the groups involved in the litigation.

THE GUNSHINE STATE

MORE PRESSURE — "Dems deliver ultimatum over Marjorie Taylor Greene," by POLITICO's Heather Caygle, Sarah Ferris and Melanie Zanona: Top House Democrats are moving to force Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene off multiple committees this week — with or without Kevin McCarthy's help. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer delivered an ultimatum to McCarthy on Monday: Either Republicans move on their own to strip Greene (R-Ga.) of her committee assignments within 72 hours, or Democrats will bring the issue to the House floor.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) wears a

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) wears a "Trump Won" face mask. | Erin Scott-Pool/Getty Images

ADDING THEIR VOICE — "Parkland area, Sandy Hook lawmakers demand action on Marjorie Taylor Greene," by Sun Sentinel's Anthony Man: "Lawmakers representing communities affected by two of the worst school shootings in U.S. history said Monday that Congress must act to repudiate U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Georgia Republican who's denied the truth about the massacres at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High and Sandy Hook Elementary. U.S. Reps. Ted Deutch, Jahana Hayes and Debbie Wasserman Schultz said in a video news conference that Greene should be expelled from Congress or resign. If that doesn't happen, they'd like to see her censured."

BUT — "Miami Republicans oppose expelling lawmaker who called Parkland shooting a false flag," by Miami Herald's Alex Daugherty: "Reps. Carlos Gimenez and Mario Diaz-Balart said Monday they are opposed to kicking [Rep. Marjorie Taylor] Greene out of Congress due to her social media activity, though they criticized her conduct. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar said 'no comment' when asked about Greene and efforts to remove her."

THEN THERE'S THIS — "Marjorie Taylor Greene: I'm meeting with Trump 'soon,'" by POLITICO's Tina Nguyen: Freshman Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said on Monday that she would soon be visiting former President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Amid revelations of more inflammatory social media posts she has made and videos she's produced, the controversial Georgia Republican has claimed to have Trump's backing, saying last week that the former president had called her and supported her.

JOIN WEDNESDAY - AN UNEQUAL BURDEN FOR WOMEN DURING THE PANDEMIC: Covid-19 dealt a significant blow to working women as household work, child care and the care of older adults disproportionately fall to them. A recent report found that 1 in 4 women considered cutting back hours spent at their jobs or dropping out of the workforce altogether, citing increased household and child care responsibilities during the pandemic. How do we start even the burden? Join POLITICO for a virtual discussion on women, work and caregiving during Covid-19.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF — "Stopping the Super Bowl spread," by POLITICO's Renuka Rayasam: About one-quarter of the people polled across the country in one survey said they plan to gather with others outside their homes to watch the game. For avid fans, which certainly includes a larger share of the people who live in Kansas City and Tampa, the number is even higher, 40 percent. There will be a spike in cases in both cities, said Edwin Michael, an epidemiologist at the University of South Florida. Cases have slowed dramatically in Tampa after a holiday spike, and the reproductive rate is now just below 1 in the area. Still, if there's a 25 percent reduction in mask wearing and social distancing this weekend, cases would spike 10 percent in Tampa next week, Michael said.

'PHARMACY DESERT' — "DeSantis denies race plays role in vaccine access; Jacksonville doctor disagrees," by WJCT's Sydney Boles: "[Duval County Medical Society Foundation head Dr. Sunil'] Joshi took to Twitter Sunday night over his frustration with the vaccination process, particularly the ways in which African Americans disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic are being disadvantaged when it comes to the strongest weapons against it. [Gov. Ron] DeSantis responded to the allegations in a press conference Monday, saying efforts to engage Black churches were proving successful. "All of our other sites, community sites, the Publix, the hospitals — just just to be clear — there's not any type of racial discrimination, they're not accounting for race," DeSantis said. "It's all based on age, regardless of any of that. And so that's obviously the way it needs to be."

— "DeSantis: Additional coronavirus vaccine supply has arrived in Florida," by Sun Sentinel's Cindy Krischer Goodman

EVERYTHING IS FINE — " Florida's new COVID-19 vaccine website adds to appointment confusion," by Orlando Sentinel's Kate Santich: "If you're trying to snag one of those elusive COVID-vaccine appointments, which website are you supposed to use to sign up? It depends on where you live. Florida health officials rolled out a new statewide preregistration portal last week designed to let Floridians sign up once and then receive notification when there's an opening in their area. But Seminole, Volusia and Orange counties aren't using it, and Volusia reported not even being able to access the state's information. 'We know that people are really frustrated, and understandably so,' said Kate Sark, a Volusia County spokeswoman."

— "Workers who help the dying left waiting for COVID vaccinations," by Palm Beach Post's John Pacenti

— "Marco police, fire chiefs placed on leave as city investigates access to Eventbrite vaccine system," by Marco Eagle's Omar Rodriguez Ortiz

TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP

UNSOCIAL MEDIA — "Rep. Matt Gaetz staffer cheered on Capitol rioters via Parler as they overran police," by Gizmodo's Dell Cameron: "'From the top of the Capitol office buildings, WE HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR!" [Joel] Valdez posted, adding the hashtag "#StopTheSteal". Metadata from [Joel] Valdez's video, which Pro Publica published last week but did not connect to Gaetz's press assistant, reveals it was taken at roughly 1:14 p.m. ET that day. The rioters had by that time already breached at least three police barricades and forced officers back onto the Capitol steps where they were violently engaged, according to a timeline of events reported by the New York Times. Gaetz's chief of staff, Jillian Lane Wyant, disputed that Valdez's video depicted him cheering on the mob. Valdez could not have known, she said, that the rioters would break inside the Capitol building. 'A staff member in our office posted on his personal Parlor [sic] account about the President's rally before the Capitol had been breached or anyone was harmed,' Wyant said in an email. 'He also immediately amplified President Trump's call on social media for those in attendance to go home. He regrets that the post has been misinterpreted as support for violence by some. It was not.'"

— "Gov: Fraudster raised money pitching Giuliani as firm's face," by Associated Press' Larry Neumeister

... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ...

PLAYING DEFENSE — "Lawmaker defends minimum wage proposal," by News Service of Florida's Christine Sexton: "A Republican senator looking to alter Florida's newly adopted $15-an-hour minimum wage mandate defended his proposal on Monday amid a growing chorus of criticism. Senate Judiciary Chairman Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, said his proposal to amend the state Constitution to allow the Legislature to exempt convicted felons and people under 21 from the new minimum-wage requirements would help them get jobs in the future… But Florida AFL-CIO lobbyist Rich Templin said Brandes' proposal isn't the answer to the goal of ensuring everyone can get hired. 'We understand Senator Brandes' concern about these workforce segments, but denying them a new constitutional right to a near-living wage is not the way to do it,' Templin said. 'It's state-sanctioned discrimination.'"

WAIVER SOUGHT — "A drought in service opportunities keeps students sweating over Bright Futures," by POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury: High school seniors who need to rack up enough volunteer hours to snag the state's top college scholarship are looking for a pandemic reprieve from Florida lawmakers and state education officials. The nearly $600 million Bright Futures scholarship program, a perennial topic of conversation among state lawmakers, requires students to accrue at least 100 hours of volunteer work before they can apply for a full ride. And like most things upended by the spread of the coronavirus, many of those opportunities got put on hold.

— " Florida Legislature to consider two new bills regarding COVID-related evictions," by Miami Herald's Rene Rodriguez

DATELINE D.C.

HERE IT COMES? — "Biden to free up billions in delayed Puerto Rico storm aid," by New York Times' Christopher Flavelle and Patricia Mazzei: "The Biden administration said it would release $1.3 billion in aid that Puerto Rico can use to protect against future climate disasters, and is starting to remove some restrictions put in place by the Trump administration on spending that was to help the island after Hurricane Maria in 2017. Administration officials, describing the move as a first step toward addressing racial inequality through policies designed to address climate change, said they planned to ease the limits that the Trump administration placed on another $4.9 billion in aid on the morning of Jan. 20, a few hours before the former president left office."

NOT A PRIORITY? — A group of six new House members — including Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar from Miami — on Monday wrote a letter to House Foreign Affairs Chairman Gregory Meeks on Monday questioning a decision to shrink the size of a subcommittee dealing with nations in the Western Hemisphere from 14 members to eight. From the letter: "The region also continues to face threats from the brutal socialist-communist dictatorships in Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. We know all too well how fragile the democracies of the region are and the Subcommittee must have sufficient representation to oversee U.S. policy so it can best help ensure that the House of Representatives stands up to these murderous dictators, supports human rights, and provides the necessary assistance to the brave democratic actors that risk their lives for freedom and democracy."

A FRIEND IN FLORIDA — Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the Florida's only statewide elected Democrat, is expected to lay out a "partnership plan" this morning with the Biden administration. Fried's plan, which sounds as if it may be sort of a wish list, will touch on areas she's involved in such as agriculture and energy. Now if she could only get the DeSantis administration to respond to her questions.

PENINSULA AND BEYOND

LIMITED — "Tampa Bay makes best of Super Bowl week amid sour economy," by Associated Press' Curt Anderson: "There have been four previous Super Bowls in Tampa, some amid war and economic distress, but none have faced the challenges this year's event encounters because of the coronavirus pandemic and its fallout."

— "FDLE seeks witnesses, video in probe of Osceola deputy who slammed Liberty High student," by Orlando Sentinel's Jeff Weiner

ODDS, ENDS, AND FLORIDA MEN

— "SpaceX announces 1st all-civilian crew, set to launch from Florida's Kennedy Center this year," by Orlando Sentinel's Caroline Glenn: "SpaceX announced on Monday that later this year it intends to launch the first-ever all-civilian crew into space, signifying the coming shift from astronauts-only space exploration. The historic undertaking, which SpaceX has dubbed Inspiration4, will include four passengers, including 37-year-old billionaire Jared Isaacman and three others paid for by Isaacman. Chief executive of Shift4, which sells credit-card-processing terminals and point-of-sale systems., Isaacman is also a fighter jet pilot and founder of Draken International, which trains military pilots."

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