Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday that he will not support legislation in the Sunshine State that would put taxpayers on the hook for former President Donald Trump’s legal bills.
In response to a Politico report stating that “several Florida Republicans” support a measure that could give as much as $5 million to the 77-year-old GOP presidential front-runner, DeSantis tweeted: “But it’s not Florida Republicans who use the veto pen…”
The proposal, filed by state Sen. Ileana Garcia (R-Miami), would waive state funds for legal fees incurred as a result of criminal charges brought by “US public entities” against “eligible persons” who have been “subjected to political discrimination .”
Trump is not named in the bill’s text, but to qualify for the money, individuals must meet “presidential eligibility requirements” and be Florida residents — both criteria that Trump meets.
DeSantis signaled that he opposed the Florida bill that would have appropriated as much as $5 million for Trump. Getty Images
Florida’s governor confirmed Trump for president after ending his presidential campaign on Sunday. AP
“We are in the middle of a historic moment where we are watching an election that the Left wing prosecutors, the Biden Administration and even Blue States are trying to steal,” Garcia said in a statement.
“They are not trying to win at the ballot box; they are trying to prevent President Trump from voting by arming the courts. Having a Floridian in the White House is good for our state – and anything we can do to support a Florida Presidential candidate, like President Trump, will not only benefit our state, but our country,” he added.
Trump has been hit with four criminal charges since leaving office, including criminal charges in two federal cases related to his alleged role in the January 6, 2021, riots at the US Capitol and his alleged mishandling of classified White House documents after becoming president.
He also faces charges in Georgia and New York for his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in the Peach State and for alleged hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels.
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, a Republican, also supported the measure, which would establish the Defending Freedom Fighters Trust Fund to ease Trump’s financial burden.
“We have a Florida Man – Donald Trump – running for President, and he faces ongoing legal challenges from Democrats in New York, Washington DC, and Atlanta,” Patronis said in a statement. “The Left is really good at weaponizing the courts, and because President Biden is so unpopular, they’re not just trying to beat Trump at the ballot box, they’re trying to throw him in jail, which is outrageous.”
“If we can help and support Florida’s candidate for the White House, that’s great from a dollars and cents perspective,” he added, echoing Garcia.
Patronis noted that DeSantis, who dropped out of the presidential race on Sunday and endorsed Trump, would also be eligible for the money should he face “the same legal problems that President Trump is facing” in a future White House run.
Nikki Fried, chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party, slammed the effort.
“Back home…people can’t afford their property insurance, kids are going hungry all summer, teacher pay is 48th in the nation yet this is how Republicans want to spend YOUR money,” he said in the X post.
Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, who has endorsed Trump in 2024, is unclear whether she will support the bill, telling Politico that the former president “has the means to cover his legal expenses; however, many people do not, which worries Senator Garcia.”
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
