Fried Files Ethics Complaint Against DeSantis

Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried has filed an ethics complaint against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R). Filing the complaint with the Florida Commission on Ethics, Fried accuses DeSantis of receiving “gifts” from his Friends of Ron DeSantis political committee.

Fried’s complaint primarily focuses on a three-day retreat at Palm Beach, Florida’s Four Seasons wherein Governor DeSantis met with Republican lawmakers and donors.

Records indicate that the political committee paid more than $235,000 for the resort, which included expenditures from the committee like $142,000 for a meeting expense and almost $12,000 for food and beverages at Dirty French Steakhouse in Miami. In the complaint there are also “expenditures totaling $86,107.86 to Ace Specialties LLC of Lafayette, LA for ‘store inventory.’”

If the Ethics Commission finds that Governor DeSantis has broken state law, he would be subject to “civil penalty equal to three times the amount of the gifts, which shall be paid to the General Revenue Fund of the state.”

“This is yet another example of Ron DeSantis arrogantly thinking he is above the law,” Fried said, affirming that “no one is above the law.” “While Floridians face some of the highest property insurance and mortgage rates in the state’s history, DeSantis is hobnobbing with special interest donors and lining his pockets with freebies,” she added, expressing that “Floridians deserve answers, and DeSantis needs to be held accountable.”

DeSantis’ office has responded to the complaint, calling it “politically motivated.”

Taryn Fenske, Governor DeSantis’ communications director, took to Twitter to comment that “just like the one from two weeks ago, we’ll just add this to the list of frivolous & politically motivated attacks.”

“Louder for the Dems in the back: it’s inappropriate to use ethics complaints for partisan purposes,” Fenske added.