News: POLITICO Florida Playbook: DeSantis' Supreme Court connection

Friday, February 4, 2022

POLITICO Florida Playbook: DeSantis' Supreme Court connection

Feb 04, 2022

Presented by Floridians for Affordable Rx

Good Friday morning.

A legal matter — Gov. Ron DeSantis, who went to Yale and Harvard Law School, has of course, lots of strong opinions about the law and what's constitutional, and what's not.

Everyone's a critic — The Republican governor even recently ripped into the U.S. Supreme Court over its decision to let a Biden administration vaccine mandate for health care workers remain intact while an underlying lawsuit proceeds. While appearing on the conservative Ruthless podcast last month, DeSantis said that both Chief Justice John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh did not have a "backbone" when they decided to allow the mandate to stand.

Call me — Well, it turns out that DeSantis may have his own direct connection to the Supreme Court.

CC time — Emails handed over to American Oversight, a group that bills itself as a government watchdog, suggest that DeSantis is in regular contact with Justice Clarence Thomas. In June 2021, Thomas' wife, Ginni, who runs her own consulting firm, worked with the DeSantis administration to have the governor talk to a coalition of groups, including people affiliated with Judicial Watch, the conservative organization that uses information requests and lawsuits to investigate public officials.

The pitch — In one of the emails about having DeSantis talk to "conservative patriots," Ginni Thomas says that DeSantis should be acquainted with her for a few reasons: she interviewed him for the Daily Caller when he was in Congress, saw him at a state dinner when Donald Trump was president, and "my husband has been in contact with him too on various things of late."

Response — POLITICO's Matt Dixon reached out to the governor's office about this email, but did not get a response. Helen Aguirre Ferré, the executive director of the Republican Party of Florida, responded by saying "I can't speak about any private conversations Governor DeSantis may or may not have had with anyone but both he and Justice Thomas believe in the separation of powers and defend individual liberty, the law and the Constitution as written."

Admirer — There's no question DeSantis holds Thomas in high regard. Back in 2018, the governor called the justice the "gold standard for a Supreme Court appointment." The two also appeared together at a 2020 Federalist Society conference held in Disney World where DeSantis introduced Thomas as the "greatest living justice."

— WHERE'S RON? — Gov. DeSantis is scheduled to appear with former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany at the Federalist Society conference being held at Disney World in Lake Buena Vista.

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

A message from Floridians for Affordable Rx:

This legislative session, let's take politics out of prescriptions in Florida. Floridians for Affordable Rx is committed to educating policymakers and the public on proven ways to lower prescription drug costs. We are standing up to special interests, like Big Pharma and the independent pharmacy lobby, that are pushing government mandates that will increase costs to grow their profits while making Florida patients and employers pay more. Learn more.

DATELINE D.C.

HEATING UP — " Citing Brian Flores case, Wasserman Schultz says Congress must investigate 'egregious lack of representation and opportunity for Black leaders in the NFL,'" by Sun Sentinel's Anthony Man: "U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, citing the case of fired Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores, said Thursday that Congress must investigate 'an egregious lack of representation and opportunity for Black leaders in the NFL.' 'Money and power is what rules the NFL and unless somebody steps in and holds them accountable, nothing will change. They will continue business as usual,' the Broward/Miami-Dade County Democrat said during the hearing."

... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ...

NOT IMPRESSED — "Ladapo's former UCLA supervisor would not recommend him, but former professor praised him," by POLITICO's Arek Sarkissian: A former supervisor of Florida Surgeon General Joseph A. Ladapo told a state investigator he would not recommend the Harvard-trained doctor to become the state's top health administrator because of his views on the Covid-19 pandemic. The investigator from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement was performing a background check on Ladapo as part of a routine report given to senators as he moves through the confirmation process. The report, which was first reported by the Tallahassee Democrat and obtained from the Senate on Thursday, includes an unnamed supervisor from the University of California Los Angeles who told FDLE he would not recommend Ladapo as surgeon general for the third-largest state in the country.

Some support — But Ladapo was also praised by another UCLA medical school professor who wrote a glowing recommendation letter to the professor selection committee at the University of Florida. The Sept. 12 letter was written by UCLA medical school professor Carol Mangione, who wrote that Ladapo was "one of our most productive faculty."

REVENGE TIME? — " House proposes dropping $200M hammer on schools that fought DeSantis over masks," by POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury : House Education leaders on Thursday proposed stripping $200 million from a dozen Florida school districts that bucked Gov. Ron DeSantis and the GOP-controlled Legislature in the fall by enacting local campus mask mandates for students. The surprising budget twist was revealed in the House's initial K-12 spending plan as a way to punish schools that defied the DeSantis administration, lawmakers and local parents who were against masking their children.

Sounds legal, right? — The funding would be plucked from staff salaries in school districts including Miami-Dade and Broward counties and redistributed to schools across the state that never adopted student masking policies under the recommendations from state Rep. Randy Fine (R-Palm Bay), the House's K-12 education budget chief. "They spent money that we gave them to sue us," Fine said in an interview. "Clearly you have more money than you need."

KEEP IT DARK — " Former PSC chairs debate opposite sides of solar legislation," by POLITICO's Bruce Ritchie: A House subcommittee hearing Thursday advanced a bill that would reduce utility payments to owners of rooftop solar panels after hearing from two former Public Service Commission chairs on opposite sides of the hot controversy. The House Tourism, Infrastructure and Energy Subcommittee voted 13-3 to advance HB 741 during a stormy first hearing on the House bill. Rep. Brad Drake (R-Eucheeanna), subcommittee chair, at one point asked the sergeant of arms to restore order after some audience members objected to being told there was not enough time to hear from them.

INCOMING — "Florida House targets college accreditation board in new proposal," by POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury: The proposal comes after the accrediting body over Florida's schools intervened in a recent university presidential search, triggering sharp criticism from Republican officials. The overarching intent of legislation, which would give students clarity over how their tuition and fee money is spent, scored bipartisan support during its introductory hearing, yet Democrats objected to the bill due to the suggested tweaks to the college accreditation process.

'WE'RE CREATING THE MARKET' — " Florida lawmakers want a 'no negotiation' policy with ransomware attackers," by Tampa Bay Times' Lawrence Mower: "Florida's cities and counties have paid out millions of dollars to hackers who infiltrate their systems and hold critical data hostage. Now some state lawmakers want them to adopt a policy on hackers usually reserved for terrorist organizations: refuse to negotiate. A bill moving through the House of Representatives would ban local governments from paying out attackers in ransomware cases, a growing form of hacking that uses malware intended to extort money or other ransom by encrypting files on a victim's computer."

— " Florida Senate passes bill on addiction, child hearing loss ," by The Associated Press' Brendan Farrington

— "' Don't Say Gay' bill draws protest and rally from LGBTQ advocates," by Sun Sentinel's Brooke Baitinger

— " Wilton Simpson says lawmakers will 'fail' citizens if they don't tackle homeowner insurance 'crisis,'" by Florida Politics' Christine Jordan Sexton

— " Black legislators push key initiatives, but face hurdles in GOP-controlled Legislature," by Florida Phoenix's Isaac Morgan

— " Immigration enforcement bill clears first House committee ," by Florida Politics' Jason Delgado

BECOME A GLOBAL INSIDER: The world is more connected than ever. It has never been more essential to identify, unpack and analyze important news, trends and decisions shaping our future — and we've got you covered! Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Global Insider author Ryan Heath navigates the global news maze and connects you to power players and events changing our world. Don't miss out on this influential global community. Subscribe now.

MAPMAKER, MAPMAKER

ONE MAP DOWN, ONE TO GO — " Legislature approves its own redistricting maps as DeSantis seeks court ruling," by Miami Herald's Mary Ellen Klas: "Legislators finished work on their legislative redistricting maps on Thursday as a unanimous Senate approved a Florida House map and gave final approval to a Senate map. The new configurations position Republicans to be able to remain in control of the Legislature for the next decade. Senate Joint Resolution 100, which includes the Senate and House legislative maps, now goes to the Florida Supreme Court for a final review before it becomes law and takes effect for the 2022 election cycle. The Senate passed the redistricting bill 37-0 with no discussion Thursday, following a House vote of 77-39 along party lines on Wednesday."

CAMPAIGN MODE

THE HEIR— " DeSantis strategizes for his future, while Trump obsesses over his election loss," by CNN's Stephen Collinson: "Donald Trump is still waging his hopeless fight to win the last White House race. But his possible heir apparent, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, already seems to be trying to triumph in the next one. The former President's increasingly fantastical obsession with an election that he lost shows his determination to pin the Republican Party's future on a personal quest for vengeance that would restore his tarnished self-image as a winner. But DeSantis is directly engaging President Joe Biden, who plans to run for reelection, on multiple fronts that send an electric political charge through the GOP base."

TALKING ABOUT THE MONEY — The campaign of Rep. Val Demings on Thursday released a new digital video through its social media accounts that highlights the infrastructure bill passed by Congress (and opposed by Sen. Marco Rubio). The video says "Chief Demings delivers" and highlights money included in the infrastructure law going to two Florida ports. The short ad does not mention Rubio's opposition to the bill but Zack Carroll, the campaign manager for Demings, criticized the Republican incumbent while announcing the digital ad. "Floridians deserve a senator who will get the job done in Washington, not another career politician who takes his marching orders from special interests and party bosses, even when it hurts families back home."

GEARING UP — " Vastly outnumbered, Broward Republicans train on how to turn out more votes for Ron DeSantis," by Sun Sentinel's Anthony Man: "Vastly outnumbered in Broward County, Republicans are hoping to overcome their numerical disadvantage with a corps of volunteers trained to engage with sympathetic voters, capitalizing on what they see as discontent with President Joe Biden and support for Gov. Ron DeSantis. On Thursday — midafternoon on a weekday — more than 100 party activists crammed into the side room of a Coral Springs restaurant to learn from a Republican National Committee staffer the best way to help the party's cause: targeting potential voters in their neighborhoods who, with a little convincing, might vote for DeSantis' re-election and other Republican nominees this fall."

— "Challenger nearly matches Rep. Franklin's contributions," by The Ledger's Gary White

A message from Floridians for Affordable Rx:

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

The daily rundown — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there were 17,767 Covid-19 infections reported on Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that 8,479 hospital beds were being used in the state for Covid-19 patients.

LONG ORDEAL — " He spent 164 days battling COVID at a Jacksonville hospital. Now he wants others to get vaccinated," by Florida Times-Union's Teresa Stepzinski: "Fabian Granado will celebrate his 27th birthday on Feb. 8. It's a day his close-knit family feared he wouldn't live to see. Hospitalized 164 days — often near death including two months in a coma — from COVID-19, Granado walked out of UF Health Jacksonville on Tuesday to tears of joy, cheers, handshakes and hugs from the masked medical staff who cared for him day and night. 'I'm feeling wonderful,' said Granado in a soft, raspy voice. "It's been a long 5½ months at the hospital getting my lungs healed and being able to talk, walk and you know, be alive and a human again.'"

STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.

PENINSULA AND BEYOND

SWEETNERS — " How the sugar industry makes political friends and influences elections," by The Palm Beach Post's Hannah Morse: "The local campaign, which was underway while major legislation was pending before the state Legislature, provides a window onto how the industry cultivates political allies in the Glades who, in turn, help protect its interests in Tallahassee. 'A voice that is for or against the ag industry is 10 times more powerful coming from the Glades area than someone who is from outside the local area,' said Rick Asnani, a West Palm Beach-based political consultant, explaining the industry's investment in local elections"

LIVING IN PARADISE — " Tampa Bay has huge flood risk. What should we do about it?" by Tampa Bay Times' Zachary T. Sampson and Langston Taylor: "Thousands of years ago, researchers say, the people who lived in what we now call Florida had to accommodate rising seas. They responded, excavations suggest, by retreating. Kenneth Sassaman, a University of Florida archaeologist, has theorized that some even picked up and reburied the bones of their ancestors. This ancient problem is not so different from the conundrum Floridians face today, he thinks. It shows that nature is always in control, but people can adapt. 'The challenge we face today, though, is you just can't pick up a city and move it,' said Andrea Dutton, a geoscience professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison."

— "Clay County's ex-sheriff faces new trial date along with added charges," by Florida Times-Union's Dan Scanlan

A message from Floridians for Affordable Rx:

The Florida independent pharmacy lobby claims that pharmacies are struggling, but, 1 in 3 pharmacies in Florida is an independent pharmacy and, while thousands of businesses shuttered due to the pandemic, 20 new independent pharmacies were added in 2020. Despite this growth, their lobbyists are pushing an agenda that will make it harder for small businesses to provide affordable prescription drug coverage.

Florida lawmakers need to reject the costly and harmful special interest agenda of the independent pharmacy lobby and support a more competitive marketplace that will reduce prescription drug costs. That means supporting patient advocates like pharmacy benefit managers, PBMs, that negotiate with drug companies and pharmacies to reduce prescription drug costs for patients. Tell your legislators it is time to put the health and safety of Florida families first. Learn more.

ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN

BIRTHDAYS: Adrienne Arsht, business leader and philanthropist … former State Sen. Dwight Bullard … (Saturday) Former state Rep. Clay Ingram ... Michael Olenick, former member of the State Board of Education ... Jayne Chapman, community outreach for Rep. Ted Deutch … Michael Steel, partner at Hamilton Place Strategies … (Sunday) State Rep. Clay Yarborough … Leon County Supervisor of Elections Mark Earley