News: POLITICO Florida Playbook: Florida may get its Jan. 6 closeup

Tuesday, July 12, 2022

POLITICO Florida Playbook: Florida may get its Jan. 6 closeup

Jul 12, 2022

Hello and welcome to Tuesday.

Ready for a closeup — The spotlight of the select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol could have quite the Florida feel when it meets later today.

Links — The committee is looking at how former President Donald Trump influenced groups, like the Proud Boys, whose leader is from Miami and whose ranks include many Florida members, to come to Washington, D.C., early last year. Just a reminder: Florida is the state with the largest number of residents who have been arrested for their roles in the riot.

Trumpet — Rep. Stephanie Murphy, a central Florida Democrat, told POLITICO that Trump's December 2020 tweet urging people to "Be there. Will be wild" was a "clarion call." Murphy is leading Tuesday's hearing alongside Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.).

Goal — Murphy added that "We'll show you how they began to organize around that date. … And you know that they were [not] organizing … for a peaceful protest, because you don't bring explosives and weapons to peaceful protests."

Florida man — The Washington Post, meanwhile, said that part of the hearing will also explore how the groups that stormed the Capitol had ties to Trump associates such as Roger Stone, the longtime Sunshine State fixture who played a key role in urging Trump to enter politics, and Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser who relocated to Florida last year.

— WHERE'S RON? — Nothing official announced for Gov. DeSantis.

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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TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP

LAYING IT OUT — Jan. 6 panel zeroes in on Trump's 'clarion call' to extremists, by POLITICO's Nicholas Wu and Kyle Cheney: The Jan. 6 select committee plans to make its most complex case yet at its public hearing Tuesday: that Donald Trump's words and actions influenced extremists and brought them to the steps of the Capitol.

CONNECTIONS — "Jan. 6 hearing expected to focus on link between militants, White House ," by Washington Post's Jacqueline Alemany and Hannah Allam: "The committee will also highlight the ties between violent extremist groups and Trump associates — connections lawmakers on the committee have already hinted at during previous hearings. 'We will show how some of these right-wing extremist groups who came to D.C. and led the attack on the Capitol had ties to Trump associates, including Roger Stone and Gen. Mike Flynn,' said the committee aide.

MURPHY'S MOMENT — "The Jan. 6 committee member who fled authoritarianism — and then the Capitol rioters," by Time's Eric Cortellessa: "Hours later, [Rep. Stephanie] Murphy and [Rep. Kathleen] Rice had frantically found their way to [Sen. Kyrsten] Sinema's hideaway, hoping the violent mob that had just breached the Capitol would pass them by. After the Senate floor was evacuated, and Capitol police escorted Sinema to an underground space, she saw on Twitter that rioters were near her office. She asked two officers to go help Murphy and Rice get somewhere safer. When the police found the two of them, they sprinted to the underground passage. Sinema remembers seeing her friends arrive with the officers. 'Stephanie had a look of terror on her face,' she tells TIME. Murphy recalls being in a state of shock. 'I couldn't believe that here I was, a refugee immigrant who had fled authoritarianism, now trapped in the basement of the Capitol, the place where I thought I would be safest,' she says. 'The heart of our democracy.'"

Rep. Stephanie Murphy speaks during a House hearing.

Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., speaks before the House select committee hearing on the Jan. 6 attack on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 27, 2021. (Chip Somodevilla/Pool via AP) | Chip Somodevilla/Pool via AP

THE GUNSHINE STATE

LET HIM TALK — 'You have to do more': Parkland father interrupts Biden's gun control speech, by POLITICO's Ari Hawkins: Manuel Oliver, the father of a victim of a mass shooting in Parkland, Fla., interrupted President Joe Biden on Monday during a White House speech marking the passage of the first major gun legislation in more than a decade. "You have to do more," Oliver could be heard shouting from the audience during Biden's remarks celebrating the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which provides funding for crisis intervention and mandates due process procedures for states with red flag laws. .(Video from the event.)

Reaction — Ryan Petty, whose daughter was also killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, said on Twitter that "I was invited to today's press conference at the White House. I could not in good conscience attend because I do not support this President or this legislation. However, the office of the President deserves respect. Interrupting him is not the way to change hearts and minds."

CAMPAIGN MODE

GETTING TO KNOW YOU — Gov. RON DESANTIS recently held a confab of dozens of his top national donors as well as a handful of fellow Republican governors and prominent candidates he's close to as he runs for reelection and eyes a presidential run in 2024, two sources familiar with the event told POLITICO's Daniel Lippman.

Attendees at the event in Fort Lauderdale — which sources described as the most significant assembly of Republican governors outside of the RGA so far this year — included Govs. KIM REYNOLDS of Iowa, HENRY MCMASTER of South Carolina, KEVIN STITT of Oklahoma and BILL LEE of Tennessee, Arkansas gubernatorial candidate and former Trump White House press secretary SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, former Maine Gov. and current gubernatorial candidate PAUL LEPAGE and Nevada Senate candidate ADAM LAXALT. Conservative media influencers in attendance included BUCK SEXTON, LISA BOOTHE and JOSH HAMMER.

DeSantis' political operation billed the "lightly scheduled" event as a chance to connect his key donors and friendly media figures to Republican governors and candidates who share the Florida governor's political priorities and support his style of governing. The daylong conference featured an informal "get to know you" session over drinks and cigars, a dinner accompanied by a speech from DeSantis, and panels showcasing the visiting governors and conservative pundits moderated by DeSantis. A DeSantis campaign spokesperson declined to comment.

FLORIDA BATTLEGROUNDS — The United States has more than 3,000 counties. But with its population increasingly sorting into solidly blue or comfortably red territory, the number of truly contested regions is just a tiny fraction of that total. POLITICO is taking a look at 20 of the most important counties that will determine whether Republicans or Democrats rule the House and Senate in 2023. Two of those counties — Seminole and Miami-Dade — could play a pivotal role in deciding the control of Congress. The county profiles were reported and written by journalists who participated in the POLITICO Journalism Institute, a training program designed to advance newsroom diversity.

... Republicans are gaining ground with Latino voters. Just look at Miami-Dade, by Baila Mudgil for POLITICO

... DeSantis' new map could clinch this House seat for Florida Republicans , by Chelsea Long for POLITICO

TAKING AIM AT DESANTIS — Progressive groups are launching a new effort called "DeSantis Watch" that will "shine a spotlight on the failures of Gov. Ron DeSantis" and will offer rapid response message, digital advertising and use social media and email campaign as part of an effort to stop his reelection. The effort is being led by the Florida Communications and Research Hub, a joint effort of Florida Watch and Progress Florida. "We refuse to let Ron DeSantis continue using the people of Florida as stepping stones on his climb up the political ladder," said DeSantis Watch communications director Anders Croy in a statement.

FLORIDA MAN — Trump 2024? Not just yet, some Republicans say, by POLITICO's Burgess Everett and Marianne LeVine: Three GOP senators up for reelection this fall had little to say about [Former aide Cassidy] Hutchinson's testimony or its effects on Trump's political future. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said Trump will "announce when he wants to" while Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), the most vulnerable GOP incumbent, wouldn't say whether an early Trump campaign might help him or hurt him. Johnson said "the Jan. 6 committee has not done very good due diligence."

— " Elon Musk responds to Trump calling him a 'bull---- artist', says there should be a maximum age for presidency," by Fox Business's Lawrence Richard and Lorraine Taylor

SEEKING DESANTIS — " GOP race for Arizona governor becomes 2024 proxy war as Ducey defies Trump," by NBC News' Allan Smith and Marc Caputo: "[Karrin] Taylor Robson backers hope Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — the second-most-popular Republican in the nation behind Trump and a potential 2024 presidential candidate — gets involved, as well. 'I think every campaign would like to have Governor DeSantis' endorsement,' the Taylor Robson adviser said. 'So there's no question about that. We would welcome it, obviously.' But those familiar with DeSantis' thinking say he is unlikely to wade into the Arizona race, especially because he doesn't want to fuel public speculation about his White House aspirations."

CAMPAIGN ROUNDUP — DeSantis is spending $1.75 million for an ad that will start airing in Miami on Tuesday and will run until the day before the Aug. 23 primary, according to ad tracking firm AdImpact … Former Secretary of State Laurel Lee went up on cable on Monday with a new ad in the race for Florida's 15th Congressional District. AdImpact says Lee's campaign spent $17,000 to run the ad for the week. The ad relies heavily on her work for DeSantis, saying that she was the "one candidate trusted by Gov. DeSantis to secure our elections."

… Sen. Marco Rubio on Monday endorsed Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis' reelection bid. Patronis' lone opponent is Democrat Adam Hattersley. … State Sen. Lauren Book , who is involved in a tight Democratic primary, launched her third ad ahead of the August primary. The ad is being paid by the Florida Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, an affiliated party committee led by Book that is allowed to accept unlimited donations. The committee also doesn't have to disclose its donors for this current period until Aug. 19.

THE ANNA ESKAMANI FILES — The campaign of Sen. Marco Rubio and the National Republican Senatorial Committee on Monday hammered Democratic opponent Rep. Val Demings after she skipped a planned campaign appearance with state Rep. Anna Eskamani.

Backstory — Demings announced that she and Eskamani, who is one of the state's prominent progressive Democrats, were joining together last Thursday for a launch of a volunteer effort responding to the recent Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe vs. Wade. Republicans, however, slammed Demings over the planned event, calling Eskamani a "radical" based on her positions regarding police funding. Demings, the former police chief of Orlando, in one of her campaign ads has called defunding the police "crazy." When Demings didn't show up for the event Rubio's campaign and the NRSC said that she had "bailed" and was "running scared."

Response — Christian Slater, a spokesperson for Demings' campaign, said that "the chief's prior event went long. This is nothing more than a desperate attempt by partisan hacks to district from Marco Rubio's record of failure." Eskamani in a text said she "left early myself" because she had to lead a training event from her car.

— " This Florida House race is giving Democrats hope in a brutal year," by The Hill's Max Greenwood

— " Voting-rights groups will ask judge to toss city council districts before 2023 elections in Jacksonville redistricting lawsuit case," by The Tributary's Andrew Pantazi

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DATELINE D.C.

'NECESSARY RELIEF' — "Biden extends Temporary Protected Status for eligible Venezuelans to March 2024," by Miami Herald's Syra Ortiz-Blanes and El Nuevo Herald's Antonio Maria Delgado: "Eligible Venezuelans will be able to live in the United States with Temporary Protected Status for another 18 months, the Biden administration announced Monday, although Venezuelans who have arrived in the country after March 8, 2021, will not qualify for the immigration relief. 'This action is one of many ways the Biden administration is providing humanitarian support to Venezuelans at home and abroad, together with our regional partners,' said Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas."

... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ...

COURT ACTION — ACLU warns against 'leapfrogging' in Florida 15-week abortion ban lawsuit, by POLITICO's Arek Sarkissian: Groups seeking to preserve abortion rights after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last month urged an appeals court on Monday not to expedite the state's effort to enforce a ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Lawyers from the office of Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody had asked the state's 1st District Court of Appeal to fast-track a petition to overturn a temporary injunction that was placed on the ban by a Leon County Circuit Court judge last week. If the stay is lifted, Moody's office hopes to quickly defend the new ban in front of the state Supreme Court.

— "Florida tries to shield Corcoran in 'intellectual freedom' case," by News Service of Florida's Jim Saunders

— " City could ban convicted criminals from lobbying as commissioners implement more changes to ordinance," by Tallahassee Democrat's Karl Etters

— "Prodigy Public Affairs merges into Capital City Consulting, becoming CCC Miami ," by Florida Politics' Drew Wilson

MEDIA MATTERS

'DID NOT MEET OUR STANDARDS' — "Sarasota Herald-Tribune deletes op-ed by Proud Boy wife after backlash — but doesn't address major conflict," by Mediaite's Sarah Rumpf: "The Sarasota Herald-Tribune attempted to memory hole an op-ed published on Sunday that defended the Proud Boys as simply 'caring fathers,' without disclosing that the author was married to a member of the group. The original op-ed was titled 'Attacking Proud Boys does a disservice to caring school parents' and written by Melissa Radovich, who was identified at the end as merely 'a mother who lives in the Sarasota County Schools district and…an executive at an area manufacturing education company.'"

PENINSULA AND BEYOND

AFTERMATH — "Florida abortion clinics work overtime as women arrive from nearby states," by South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Cindy Krischer Goodman: "Florida abortion clinics are operating longer hours, opening on the weekends and training new doctors as they treat double the number of patients now that nearby states have made abortions illegal. 'This is a dangerous and scary time for women but also for the doctors who are trying to provide care and do what's best for their patients,' said Christina Noce, communications director for Planned Parenthood of Southeast and North Florida, which operates 10 health centers across the state."

— " Florida abortion funds see influx of 'rage donations' as their mission grows harder," by USA Today Network-Florida's Kathryn Varn

NEVERMIND — Florida Power & Light withdraws winter storm plan after outcry, by POLITICO's Bruce Ritchie: Florida Power & Light Co. on Monday withdrew a proposal to base its future planning needs on freezing winter temperatures in Miami, a shift that critics had said could cost utility customers billions of dollars. FPL notified the Public Service Commission that it is withdrawing the planning recommendation that had drawn sharp criticism from the Office of Public Counsel and the nonprofit Earthjustice law firm.

THE RICH ARE DIFFERENT — "Seven years, $450 million: How billionaire Ken Griffin created Palm Beach's largest estate," by Palm Beach Daily News' Darrell Hofheinz: " When he spoke in December at a luncheon in Palm Beach, he had only this to say when asked about his plans for his largely vacant land: 'I'm a big fan of wildlife preserves,' Griffin quipped at the event sponsored by the Palm Beach Civic Association. Since then, real estate observers have learned, he is planning to build an oceanfront mansion of about 44,000 square feet on part of the property, as just reported by the Palm Beach Daily News."

— " New Tavares police chief says posts that sparked investigation 'taken out of context,'" by Orlando Sentinel's Abigail Hasebroock

— "Florida considers restricting prisoners' visitation hours ," by Tampa Bay Times Romy Ellenbogen

— "Tampa Bay lags top-tier tech cities in pay," by Axios' Ben Montgomery

— "Basquiat expert in OMA scandal: Authentication claims are 'false,'" by Orlando Sentinel's Matthew J. Palm

ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN

— "Escambia County Commission candidate arrested for openly carrying a handgun on July 4," by Pensacola News Journal's Jim Little: "Stan McDaniels, a Republican candidate for the Escambia County Commission District 4 seat, was arrested Sunday and charged with openly carrying a weapon…When a police officer told McDaniels it was illegal to openly display a firearm, McDaniels told the officer he was waving at people but would now exercise his Fifth Amendment right. The officer asked McDaniels for identification, and McDaniels provided a concealed carry permit."

BIRTHDAYS: Former Rep. and Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum … Erin Gaetz, executive producer and creative director … Christine Armario, deputy editor for The Washington Post … Former state Rep. Franklin Sands … Craig Varn of Manson Bolves Donaldson Varn … Bob Rackleff , Big Bend Voting Rights Project and former presidential speechwriter.