Quo Pro? DeSantis’ Officials Are Pressuring Lobbyists And Businesses Before The Governor For Funding

Although the DeSantis campaign boasts of raising money in the first 24 hours, Ron DeSantis’ administration officials are also soliciting campaign funds from local lobbyists for the governor, and they are doing so before the state budget is signed.

“Officials working in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration — not his campaign — have been sending text messages to Florida activists to solicit political support for DeSantis’ presidential bid, breaking a tradition that has raised legal questions and left many here. the government was surprised,” a special report from NBC News it informs.

NBC News reported that it reviewed the messages from four different officials, ranging from those “directly in the governor’s office and those who hold positions in government agencies” and “The recipient of the message asked to contribute to the governor’s campaign through a link that appeared to find out who they are offering it as part of a ‘bundle’ program.”

The practice was described as “jaw-dropping” by long-time Florida political figures, so it’s not a routine practice.

There seems to be a sufficient need for campaign funds for lobbyists who have business before the sitting Governor, who could be a quid pro quo. Quid pro quo is defined as “a favor or opportunity given or expected in return for something.” Quid pro quo is not illegal, but it can mean something that would be illegal when used in politics.

The real issue here is not that Ron DeSantis has to force lobbyists to raise campaign funds, which raises questions about his ability as a candidate, but that he is using public servants, paid for by the taxpayer. it works for campaign officials using taxpayer-funded items such as cell phones and laptops, and is using lobbyists who want to get something from the DeSantis administration to divert equipment to receive donations.

It is very bad.

DeSantis also brags about the fundraising, as if it shows his strength as a competitor. “DeSantis campaign says it raised $8.2 million in first 24 hours,” a New York Times He added, he says, “The fundraising shows how strong Ron DeSantis will be against Donald Trump.” Sure, this is a big influence but it seems that it is not all if the administration is a campaigner to raise money before signing the budget, and this can be misleading about the strength and popularity of the candidates.

“@RonDeSantis’ GOVERNMENT staff issues…not the campaign, GOVERNMENT staff soliciting Florida candidates to fund his Presidential campaign should get the Justice Department’s attention. This is Putinesque kleptocracy,” the founder of the Project Lincoln Rick Wilson he wrote top of the story. Wilson called it a “quid pro quo” and said it was “furious” because “DeSantis still hasn’t signed the state budget.”

Ron DeSantis clearly takes after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in using his power to steal more power.but the fact that they do so with the greatest support for doing so following Trump’s unpunished and self-evident corruption for years makes it easy for Florida Republicans to collude and appear to be operating as a conspiracy.

A few hours before his failure to launch an advertising campaign on Twitter, Ron DeSantis did exactly what Orbán has been teaching conservatives to do to accelerate the rollback of democracy: He changed another law to fit his power grab. This was an “election bill” that changed the state’s “resignation” law. NBC reported in another section “Republican legislative leaders have been saying they will make changes to ensure there are no concerns.”

Notice that last sentence, because that’s what Viktor Orbán preaches: Change the law to make it legal to take more power. Rinse, repeat as you moderate the media and disrupt the narrative of the culture wars.

DeSantis’ management did not bother to respond to NBC News in time for publication, “but a senior official acknowledged that he was raising money for the project.”

It is unclear whether this is illegal, because it depends on several factors “including whether it was sent on government phones, or whether it was sent on government property.” The longtime Florida election attorney said even if DeSantis aides raised money for the campaign on their own, on state time, it still raises good questions. “

Questions about culture are no longer an issue for a Republican, so they’re not the first. It can also be an extra boast in speech.

Knowing our Department of Justice under a democratic president, this will not be ignored even if it rises to the level of unconstitutionality for fear of appearing inconsistent – an old value that means protecting our institutions that continue to support the end of democracy and freedom in this. the world. (This does not mean that the DOJ should be armed; rather, it shows that the DOJ has the weapons to play refs and cases without evidence of bias.)

It may not be illegal, but it is a fraudulent use of political power for personal gain. This puts the people of Florida on the back burner. It is misusing the powers given to the Governor to operate in his government. And it informs how DeSantis will lead if he succeeds in his bid for the White House.