A strong Trump ally battle-worn from brushes with Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida Senator Randy Fine plans to leave "no stone unturned" in holding all state government accountable—including the Governor's office—in his new role as a committee chair.
Fine, a former state Representative who won a landslide victory in Brevard's Senate District 19, will use his newly announced position as the Chair of the Government Oversight and Accountability Committee to "look from top-to-bottom" for abuses of power or spending in Florida's government.
"From the Governor's Office to our University System, from the judiciary to the quasi-judicial, from procurement to every single product that gets procured," he promised Wednesday evening, posting to his X account. "We spend almost $120 billion and every penny is going under my microscope, scalpel—and hammer, when necessary—at the ready.
"Buckle up," he added, echoing House Speaker Danny Perez's promise to slash excess state spending.
Fine's agenda reads as a warning to the Governor's office, which has recently come under fire from Democrats and Republicans alike for its use of over $50 million in taxpayer money to fund ads against two proposed amendments that would have legalized marijuana and expanded abortion access.
While Democrats plan to file legislation targeting the Governor's use of funds, Republican Sen. Joe Gruters, endorsed by Trump in his bid to become Florida's next Chief Financial Officer, spoke out against public money being used for a political issue weeks before both amendments failed with majority support.
Fine's appointment to Senate chair, meanwhile, comes months after DeSantis staffers blasted him on social media and could speak to a growing divide between the conservative Governor and the Republican-dominated Legislature. As the Capitol's sole Jewish Republican and a staunch Israel supporter, Fine in August said he was "disappointed" to see DeSantis travel to Ireland for a football game because the European nation supports "Muslim terror," referring to Ireland's recognition of Palestine as a sovereign nation.
DeSantis accused Fine of taking money "from all the lobbyists," so Fine called the Governor "petulant" and "childish," and all was then quiet...for a week. DeSantis staffers took to social media to jab at Fine for attending Harvard, causing him to demand an investigation into how "necessary" the Governor's team is and how frequently they're involved in his "personal and political activities."
With his new title, he may be able to find out.
Fine himself is no stranger to ethical complaints, having been held in civil contempt of court last month for allegedly raising his middle finger and mouthing expletives during a virtual court hearing in August, Florida Today reported. The hearing was for a now-dismissed case in which a Fine critic tried to remove the lawmaker from the ballot over incomplete paperwork.
Session starts March 4.
