| | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Hello and welcome to Monday. DeSantis on the trail — While his two Democratic rivals for governor were spending the final days ahead of the Aug. 23 primary making campaign stops in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis was out west stumping for Republican candidates in both New Mexico and Arizona. Helping out — DeSantis on Sunday evening gave a more than 40-minute speech at a campaign rally put together by Turning Point Action on behalf of Kari Lake, who is running for governor, and Blake Masters, who is challenging incumbent U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly. Former President Donald Trump has endorsed both Lake and Master. DeSantis got rave reviews from those assembled at the rally and at one point was labeled the "beast of the east." Familiar territory — The Florida governor's speech touched on familiar themes, including his anti-lockdown stances and frequent criticism of President Joe Biden. That included a slam of Biden's immigration policy where he also asserted that he would send Florida National Guard to help secure the border in Arizona if Lake were elected. DeSantis thundered against Disney and "woke" corporations, he touched on his recent decision to suspend Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren and he touted election law changes made since the 2020 election. Mar-a-Lago raid — And the governor did make some extended comments about the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago – which had drawn the ire of several previous speakers at the campaign rally. DeSantis criticized the search by suggesting the FBI was taking action against people who were "opposed to the regime," questioning for example why the FBI did not execute a search warrant against Hillary Clinton in 2016 "when she had a rogue server. I don't remember them doing that." He also brought up the Russia investigation but during his remarks about the search warrant he did not say Trump's name at all. — 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
| | | | 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. | | | | | |  | CAMPAIGN MODE | | Punch — Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, who is trying to close the gap between her and frontrunner Charlie Crist in the final days before the Aug. 23 primary, threw out quite the accusation on Sunday regarding some less-than-flattering coverage she had gotten from the Palm Beach Post. Allegation — During a brief gaggle ahead of a campaign event in Tallahassee, Fried was asked about the Sierra Club of Florida and a recent Post story that questioned the steps Fried had taken against sugar cane burning. Fried asserted that the environmental group opposed her candidacy because she legally couldn't ban all sugar cane burning. She also added that "we also know they paid for those reporters." When a reporter from the chain that owns the Post pushed back against the accusation she told him "there's information we can get you." Response — Fried a few hours later on Twitter would try to explain the remarks this way: "It's something I've heard — hope it's not true. But honestly hard to tell when their editor is RTing my opponent's staff and editing black and white campaign videos of me to prop up Charlie. It was a hit job on the eve of election. We posted the facts." Fried did post a link to a campaign page that pushed back against the Post story and included a graphic that says she turned down more cane burn requests than under the previous administration. Reaction — For its part Sierra Club of Florida called Fried's allegation "More lies. Accusing a well-respected paper of journalistic corruption is a desperate move." Fried's comment regarding the Post story comes in the final day of a heated campaign where she is trying to persuade undecided voters to support her as she tries to knock off Crist – who last ran for governor in 2014 and eventually to lost to Gov. Rick Scott. The whole discourse over her remarks triggered a big back and forth between Fried and Crist supporters on Sunday night as some criticized her for adopting a 'fake news' position. THE FINAL PUSH — "Charlie Crist, Nikki Fried unleash ground game as Democratic primary for governor nears finish," by USA Today Network-Florida's John Kennedy: "Amid signs of a tightening contest, rivals Nikki Fried and Charlie Crist are flooding Floridians with phone calls, texts, door-to-door canvassers and mailers in the homestretch of an almost certain to be low-turnout Democratic primary for governor. History shows that fewer than one out of three registered Democrats are likely to cast ballots in the Aug. 23 contest, with early voting underway now in many Florida counties. But for the Crist and Fried camps, sluggish turnout in the dog days of the August primary makes it even more critical that they pull their candidate's supporters to the polls." HMM — "Could a 2024 White House bid affect DeSantis' gubernatorial run?" by Fox News' Haley Chi-Sing: "[Gov. Ron] DeSantis has been treading carefully to ensure voters know Florida remains his top priority as Election Day draws closer, according to [Republican strategist Colin] Reed. Despite the fact it would be unprecedented and possibly detrimental to one's campaign to announce a presidential run during another campaign, Reed says DeSantis 2024 talk is unavoidable. 'Voters across the ideological spectrum don't like the idea that they're just being a platform for the next thing. So, I think he wise to do that,' Reed said. 'So, some of his 2024 speculation and chatter is inevitable. But they have to navigate it very carefully. Take nothing for granted. They should. They remind voters of Florida why they elected him and why they should re-elect him.'" | 
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Feb. 24, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. | John Raoux/AP Photo |
— "Florida gov. blasts 'woke' institutions in Carlsbad rally," by Albuquerque Journal's Dan McKay
VOTES PILING UP — Roughly 1.12 million vote-by-mail ballots have been cast for the Aug. 23 primary, according to the latest information on the state Division of Elections website. Of those, 522,552 have come from Democrats and 426,321 have come from registered Republicans. Overall, there are nearly 2.99 million mail ballots that have been requested but not yet returned. Of those, more than 1.3 million are held by Democrats and nearly 915,000 are with Republicans. More than 126,000 voters have cast their ballots in person during early voting. BY THE NUMBERS — Here's the breakdown for the weekly fundraising totals in the governor's race: Gov. Ron DeSantis raised more than $3.45 million during the period from July 30 to Aug.5, while Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried raised nearly $333,000 and Rep. Charlie Crist raised more than $275,000. The totals include money raised for campaign accounts and for political committees controlled by the candidates. Following the money — Some of the standout donations include $1 million that the Seminole Tribe of Florida donated to DeSantis' political committee. The tribe, which got the rights to sports betting in Florida as part of a deal with DeSantis that is now tied up in court, has also donated $3 million to the Republican Governors Association, which has also been a major donor to DeSantis. Fried, meanwhile, got a $100,000 check from health care executive Mike Fernandez and $100,000 from Her Bold Move Action – Florida. In the bank — DeSantis has nearly $135 million unspent, according to state reports (which don't reflect any future planned expenditures) while Crist has more than $4.5 million and Fried has slightly more than $1 million. The lower amounts shown by Crist and Fried reflect how both campaigns have been spending money on television ads. MOVING DOWN THE STREET — DeSantis' press secretary Christina Pushaw headed to his campaign operation, by POLITICO's Matt Dixon: Gov. Ron DeSantis' press secretary Christina Pushaw, who during 15-months in that post transformed the governor's state messaging office into a hyper-partisan extension of his political efforts, is joining DeSantis' reelection campaign. Pushaw, who will serve as the campaign's rapid response director, has received national attention for her aggressive style that is unorthodox for a taxpayer-funded press secretary. She used the position to regularly pick public fights with reporters on social media, amplify right-wing media outlets and conservative personalities and attack individuals who oppose or challenge DeSantis. 'TARGETS ON OUR BACKS' — "Florida election officials harassed, threatened amid 'false accusations of fraud,' U.S. House panel says," by USA Today Network-Florida's Douglas Soule: "Elections officials in Florida and three other states are being harassed and threatened amid a torrent of unfounded allegations of election fraud, according to a new report released Thursday by a Democrat-led congressional committee investigating election misinformation and disinformation. 'What we heard is chilling. Election officials are under siege. They face growing campaigns of harassment and threats, all driven by false accusations of fraud,' said Democratic U.S. Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, D-N.Y., who chairs the House committee overseeing the investigation, in a statement." — "Rebekah Jones allowed back in Democratic congressional race while appeal continues," by Pensacola News Journal's Jim Little — " Lauren Boebert backs Anna Paulina Luna, releases robocall," by Florida Politics' Kelly Hayes — "'Warning sign for all people': Collier School Board candidate faces backlash over campaign's antisemitic worker ," by Naples Daily News' Rachel Heimann Mercader — "'BABY KILLER': Attack message on mobile billboard shows rancor in Sarasota School Board races," by Sarasota Herald-Tribune's Earle Kimel — "If you donate to this Tampa state Senate candidate, beware the checked box," by Tampa Bay Times William March — " Three Republicans running in contentious House District 59 primary," by Tampa Bay Times' Milla Surjadi | | | | INTRODUCING POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don't miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY. | | | | | | | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | |
WHAT HAPPENS IN MAR-A-LAGO — "Trump's final days draw scrutiny as handling of documents investigated," by Wall Street Journal's Rebecca Ballhaus, Vivian Salama and Alex Leary : "Investigators, according to the search warrant released Friday, are seeking all records that could be evidence of violations of laws governing the gathering, transmission or maintenance of classified information; the removal of official government records; and the destruction of records in a federal investigation. The investigators have reached out to Trump aides who had knowledge of his records-management practices, according to people familiar with the matter. Mr. Trump's office said in a statement Saturday that the former president had declassified the documents present at Mar-a-Lago. While a president has the power to declassify documents, there are federal regulations that lay out a process for doing so."
— "Trump lawyer told Justice Dept. that classified material had been returned," by New York Times' Maggie Haberman and Glenn Thrush — "' It worried people all the time': How Trump's handling of secret documents led to the FBI's Mar-a-Lago search," by NBC News Marc Caputo, Peter Nicholas, Carol E. Lee and Vaughn Hillyard — FBI warns of heightened threats as Hill Republicans demand more from Garland on Mar-a-Lago search, by POLITICO's Nick Niedzwiadek and Betsy Woodruff Swan AFTERMATH — "Some Capitol rioters try to profit from their Jan. 6 crimes ," by Associated Press Michael Kunzelman: "Those actions are sometimes complicating matters for defendants when they face judges at sentencing as prosecutors point to the profit-chasing activities in seeking tougher punishments. The Justice Department, in some instances, is trying to claw back money that rioters have made off the insurrection. In one case, federal authorities have seized tens of thousands of dollars from a defendant who sold his footage from Jan. 6. In another case, a Florida man's plea deal allows the U.S. government to collect profits from any book he gets published over the next five years." — Florida judge who approved FBI search of Mar-a-Lago faces barrage of antisemitic online attacks, by POLITICO's Matt Dixon
| | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | |
THE DESANTIS DOCTRINE — "How Ron DeSantis consolidated his power over Florida government," by Orlando Sentinel's Jeffrey Schweers: "[Gov. Ron] DeSantis's consolidation of power gives him unprecedented influence over all three branches of state government since at least 1970, threatening the normal system that controls the flow of political power, [Professor Aubrey] Jewett said. And there is a real danger in that, he said. 'It concerns me as a political scientist when you see one person seeming to wield so much power and pushing things to what I would say is a political extreme," Jewett said."
'AN IDEOLOGICAL DECISION'— " A progressive prosecutor clashed with DeSantis. Now he's out of a job," by Washington Post's Lori Rozsa: "[Andrew] Warren called the pledges 'value statements' that addressed prosecutorial discretion, and not promises to ignore the law. Florida recently instituted a 15-week abortion ban, and while the state will soon deny Medicaid coverage for transgender-related surgeries and medication, there is no law forbidding such treatments. 'So if a doctor at Tampa General Hospital performs an abortion at 24 weeks and there's a question of, 'Is it 23 weeks and six days, or 24 weeks and one day,' that's a different case than a back-alley abortion performed at 35 weeks,' Warren said, explaining that he'd pursue charges in the latter. 'That's reckless and negligent.'" — "Ron DeSantis says he wants a Republican legislative supermajority," by Florida Politics' A.G Gancarski | | ...HURRICANE HOLE... | |
WATCHING THE CALENDAR — "If more than two big storms hit Florida this year, insurers could be in trouble," by South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Ron Hurtibise: "So here we go, Florida. Peak hurricane season is bearing down on us like that flying saucer in the movie Nope. Insurance insiders say we're covered — as long as we don't get more than two major storms. Typically, mid-August through mid-October is when Florida and the southeastern United States face the biggest risk of destructive tropical cyclones. You know the infamous hurricane names: Irma, Michael, Katrina, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne. All of them made landfall during that period."
| | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | |
SCHOOL DAZE — "This Broward kindergarten teacher isn't going to let ' Don't say gay' change her lessons," by Miami Herald's Jimena Tavel: " But she acknowledges the past four years have been the most taxing in her career, even more than when she took on three or more jobs to pay her bills in her early years. Anxiety over school shootings, remote learning, understaffing and newly passed laws in Florida that restrict what teachers can teach have made teaching that much more stressful. or the past three years, [Denise] Soufrine, 59, has undergone active shooting training. She's learned how to stop a bleed on an injured person and how to tell her kids to "hide in case a bad person comes." Some of her students laugh and think it's a game during those monthly code red drills; she calls them out. She explains it's never happened in their own school but it could, and they need to be ready. Some cry."
— "After Basquiat raid, Orlando Museum faces crisis of credibility," by New York Times' Brett Sokol — "School shooter's brain exams to be subject of court hearing," by Associated Press' Terry Spencer — " Rainwater set to be released from Piney Point this weekend, state says," by Tampa Bay Times' Zachary T. Sampson — "TPD officers train with ex-Navy SEAL whose corpse photo conviction led Trump to intervene ," by Tallahassee Democrat's Christopher Cann
| | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | |
— "Man discovers 55 pounds of suspected cocaine floating off Florida Keys, sheriff says," by Miami Herald's Omar Rodríguez Ortiz: " A man found a bale with several bricks of what investigators believe to be cocaine floating in the ocean off Key West, according to authorities. The Monroe County Sheriff's Officer responded at 3:38 p.m. Saturday to Coconut Mallory Marina in Key West about a report of narcotics found in the water, the agency said Sunday in a news release. Key West police officers, already on scene, spoke with a man who said he found the bale approximately 50 miles offshore, according to the sheriff's office. In the bale, there were 25 rectangle-shaped bricks wrapped in green plastic with black and white "XXX" decals."
— "Florida sheriff berates woman on Facebook after dog drowned," by Associated Press: "A Florida sheriff went on Facebook and berated a animal cruelty suspect as a "despicable excuse for a human being" after she was charged with drowning her Chihuahua. The 32-year-old woman was already in the Brevard County jail on charges she stabbed a 68-year-old man when police were given video of her allegedly walking into a pool and holding the tiny dog underwater. Sheriff Wayne Ivey posted a Facebook video in which he described the abuse and made his thoughts clear about the crime. 'There is a special place in hell for this woman. Until she gets there, she's going to rot in our jail,' Ivey said." BIRTHDAYS: Aniqa Borachi of National Democratic Institute | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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