Quote:DeSantis’, other officials’ travel records would be secret under Florida bill
The measure, which would impose the first-ever public records exemption for the transportation records held by the FDLE, would be retroactive.









Gov. Ron DeSantis listens to a question during a news conference on Sept. 7, 2022, in Miami. [ REBECCA BLACKWELL | AP ]
By

• Mary Ellen KlasTimes/Herald Tallahassee Bureau
  

Published Yesterday|Updated 2 hours ago



TALLAHASSEE — Citing an increase in public records requests for the governor’s travel schedule, Florida legislators are advancing a bill that would shield from the public any information about how and where Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state officials go.

The bill would impose the first-ever public records exemption for the transportation records held by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the agency that handles the governor’s security.

The exemption would take effect retroactively, prohibiting anyone from scrutinizing how DeSantis has used his state travel in the past and as he prepares for a likely campaign for the Republican nomination for president.



RELATED: DeSantis casts shade on Florida’s open-records Sunshine Law

“There has been an increase in public records requests regarding our governor and his travel simply because of his notoriety and his position for the past few years,” said Sen. Jonathan Martin, R-Fort Myers, the Senate sponsor of the bill.

State law allows governors to use state planes for political and personal travel for security reasons but, as DeSantis conducts a national book tour in anticipation of a likely presidential campaign, questions are mounting about whether taxpayer funds have been used to finance his travel and other political operations.

In the past, when state officials have used state assets for political purposes, they have been expected to reimburse taxpayers for those efforts.



During DeSantis’ term, the governor’s staff has refused to disclose many of the details of his political schedule. Media requests to FDLE for information about the schedule, as well as information about whether taxpayers have been reimbursed, have been met with either no answer or months of delay.

The Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald, for example, last year asked for several weeks of the governor’s schedule kept by FDLE. That so-called “line-by-line” schedule provides more detail than the often incomplete schedule released by his communications staff at the end of each day. But, aside from providing a handful of heavily-redacted schedules from the month of June and one week in August, FDLE withheld the remaining requests from disclosure, citing a backlog in records requests.




Some governors and lawmakers have misused state travel

Florida has a history of scrutinizing its elected officials for using state planes for political and personal purposes.

In 1996, former Gov. Lawton Chiles was caught using Florida’s state planes to attend Bill Clinton-Al Gore fundraisers. In 2003, Florida Senate President Jim King, R-Jacksonville, admitted to using state planes for weekend trips home, despite a state law that prohibited the use of state planes for commuting. In 2010, former Gov. Charlie Crist, then a Republican, admitted to using a state plane to promote a pro-business initiative and then attended a Miami campaign fundraiser.




The public learned about those and other politicians who used taxpayer funds for private and political business because reporters obtained the records.

RELATED: Judge orders Rick Scott to release travel, campaign records; Governor will appeal

The Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee voted 8-0 on Wednesday for SB 1616, which would make exempt travel information for “the governor, the governor’s immediate family, visiting governors and their families, the lieutenant governor, a member of the Cabinet, the speaker of the House of Representatives, the president of the Senate, or the chief justice of the Supreme Court” and people who travel with them.



Martin said he sponsored the bill at the request of FDLE, which told him that the volume of public records requests for the information was concerning.

“They were like, wait a second, if all of this gets out, people can put together things that we’re doing to protect the governor and figure out who the people we have, and which hotels we stay at, and things like that,” Martin said after the vote. “I don’t think we’re trying to hide what the governor is doing or who he’s meeting with. I think what we’re trying to do is protect the people that are protecting him.”

The House Criminal Justice Subcommittee voted 17-0 on Tuesday for a companion bill, HB 1495.

Unanimous committee vote, but there are opponents

Although the bills received bipartisan support, not everyone said the exemptions are a good idea.

“Exemptions are supposed to be drawn as narrowly as possible. Was this narrowly drawn and was there an overriding public reason for this?” asked Sen. Lori Berman, D-West Palm Beach. “I don’t think so. I will be voting against this. But I may be in the extreme minority.”

Barbara Petersen, director of the Florida Center for Government Accountability, a nonprofit public records watchdog, and Bobby Block, director of the First Amendment Foundation, both said the bill as written was unnecessarily broad.



“While there could be some security concerns regarding the governor’s current or future travel, I see no justification for protecting past travel,” Petersen said. “Who the governor is meeting with, who is traveling with him, who’s paying for the travel, are all questions critical to the public’s ability to hold the governor accountable.”

“Are the purposes of the trips in the interests of the citizens of the state or could it be the governor is spending money on his political agenda or career that isn’t in Florida?” Block asked. “By exempting this information — that many times would have nothing to do with his physical safety — it excludes the public from ever knowing what it is costing us and what benefits they are getting from these travels.”

Michael Barfield, director of public access for the Florida Center for Government Accountability, said the legislation “is inconsistent with the governor’s claim that Florida is a state that protects freedoms.”

“Where the governor is traveling and who he is meeting with has been a fundamental right for decades under Florida’s right-to-know laws,” Barfield said. “This is another example of the lack of accountability for taxpayer money under the DeSantis administration.”

Block noted that former Gov. Jeb Bush had a brother “who was in the White House and whose friends were running the Department of Homeland Security and he didn’t feel the need for this. Are we being told the truth about the reason for the need for this?”



FDLE: Threat levels have changed

FDLE spokesperson Gretl Plessinger said the agency supports the legislation and that security threats have changed since Bush was governor.

“The threat picture has changed significantly over the last decade with violence and attempted violence against elected and appointed officials nationally,” she said in an email. “Releasing Protective Operations details represents a risk not only to those we protect, but also FDLE agents and citizens attending events.”

Sen. Tracie Davis, D-Jacksonville, said she supported the amendment because she agrees that the security risks for elected officials have increased.

“Despite my disdain for this governor, I think there should be protection for a future governor,” she said. “But I do think we need to have more accountability and transparency.”

• • •

(03-22-2023, 06:42 PM)BIGDADDYFROMCINCINNATI Wrote: Then who Tulsi Gabbard?  She’s more of an isolationist which is in line with the far-right. 

(03-24-2023, 09:06 PM)BengalYankee Wrote: You have no idea what you are talking about. 
Most of her views/policies are to the left. 
She was a Big Bernie Sanders fan in 2016 and went against Hillary Clinton when the Democratic party "rigged" it for her.
She has become an Anti-Biden/Harris administration when they shut her out in the 2020 Democratic Convention. A first for a candidate with political primary points. This was probably due because of Harris's vendetta against Tulsi because Tulsi wiped out Harris during the debates.
   

(03-24-2023, 09:19 PM)GMDino Wrote: This Tulsi?

The one repeating the right's talking points at...CPAC?  

“It is a party that is controlled by this elitist cabal of warmongers that has been, continues to be, led by the queen of warmongers herself, #HillaryClinton. It is true. They are driven by this motivation of cowardly wokeness.” - #TulsiGabbard pic.twitter.com/J7Oij48inQ

— Brandon Taylor Moore (@LetsGoBrando45) March 19, 2023

 

Tulsi:.. members of Congress walking around with an abortion pin.. Not just advocating for but celebrating abortion on demand with no exception, all the way to birth or after birth. Normalizing infanticide. We have seen this in New York and other states. pic.twitter.com/EWaNYeHk4f

— Acyn (@Acyn) March 18, 2023

 

pic.twitter.com/lm6mR4YYiX

— Ritchie “Rashid” Garcia Jr ☪️?? (@Ritchie_Califas) March 21, 2023

Former U.S. presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard openly ridicules the absurd version involving a "pro-Ukrainian group" that allegedly blew up the Nord Stream.
Tulsi claims that the U.S. and NATO were behind the attack and that it's absolutely obvious. pic.twitter.com/6CyAHQlUHh

— Mats Nilsson (@mazzenilsson) March 22, 2023

 

Tulsi Gabbard ha rilasciato una dichiarazione molto dura per gli standard americani: "Il Partito Democratico utilizza come arma le agenzie di sicurezza dello stato e le agenzie federali per combattere avversari e quelli di noi che osano dire la verità e sfidare i loro piani folli… pic.twitter.com/xQquSvr8ZM

— ⛔️ⓁⓋⓄⒼⓇⓊⓅⓅⓄ⛔️ (@lvogruppo) March 14, 2023

 

??Tulsi Gabbard: If Biden cared about the people of Ukraine he would’ve done everything possible to prevent this war from starting. He didn't. If he really cared about the people of Ukraine he would’ve worked everyday to bring this war to an end. He didn'thttps://t.co/XIzw2UjSMW pic.twitter.com/hqnl9L1hlm

— Sinnaig (@Sinnaig) March 19, 2023

 



'K  

Did you read my response?  "The last Centrist Democrat Hindu was not accepted with open arms."   Or you acting ******?

Or you just acting to troll me? 

(03-25-2023, 08:35 AM)BengalYankee Wrote: This is why I hate responding on this forum and people have no reading comprehension and I will be kind because I don't want to be banned. 
The response was to a Centrist Democrat. Did you read the comment "Vivek would do better running as a Centrist Democrat b/c his race and religion would be accepted with open arms." by  BIGDADDYFROMCINCINNATI???? Or you acting  *******?


Did you read my response?  "The last Centrist Democrat Hindu was not accepted with open arms."   Or you acting ******?


As a former Democrat[now an Independent] who voted for Democrats from Carter in 1980 to Obama in 2012 and did vote in 2016 because I wasn't registered in the state I was at and voted in 2020 as a write in vote Tulsi Gabbard.  The Democrats of today are not the Democrats of yesteryear.












 
You showed Tulsi's pic at CPAC, but hypocritically you don't show Van Jones at CPAC. While Van Jones is Far-Left Tulsi is an Independent.






Or CNN's Paul Begala who was the Advisor to Pres. Bill Clinton.
Yes that Van Jones and that Paul Begala, hypocrite.


Tulsi who initially went to CPAC under the idea of Can't we all just get along? Is that Far-left as the clips you posted or Centrist Democrat??? Or you just acting #####?


https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/24/tulsi-gabbard-cpac-message-00011694



I clearly wrote that Tulsi and Hillary have beef with each other and of course, she is going to get revenge. Do you remember what Hillary said about Tulsi during the 2020
campaign? Or you just acting  #####? 



https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/10/21/bernie-sanders-slams-hillary-clinton-claim-tulsi-gabbard-russian-asset/4058621002/


Abortion on Demand? Pins that display that Pro-Abortion? You think that Democrats of 2023 have the same values of 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010?? Or you just acting #####?


Tulsi is for Women's rights, real "Women" like the Woman who gave birth to you. The one's that it is an unfair burden to compete with a man who has a wig on, with hormone shots and surgery. An issue a Democrat would not touch in 1980-2020. 


She hasn't changed her mind like the other hypocritical Democrats...






Tulsi would never win a Presidential election, because people like you would wan't her to be hard-left. She could never win the Republican candidacy, because at best she would be a Rino[Republican and name only].


I see you sneakily did not respond to what I wrote about Tulsi's policies. You decided to cherry pick your own topics, like the aforementioned Abortion on Demand, Pins that have abortion on them, War on Ukraine[BTW, not all Dems are for this and not all Repubs are against this], Against real women and their bodies, Hillary Clinton the war monger.


What about these issues ...


Ban Assualt Weapons
$15/ hr minimum wage
Yes to Reparations
No Electoral College
No Fossil Fuels
No Nuclear Energy
Yes to Medicare for all
Citizenship for Dreamers
Good Cuba Relationship again


Do these sound Republican???


Or you just acting to troll me? 






  

Quote:Most of her views/policies are to the left. 

(03-24-2023, 09:06 PM)BengalYankee Wrote: You have no idea what you are talking about. 
Most of her views/policies are to the left. 
She was a Big Bernie Sanders fan in 2016 and went against Hillary Clinton when the Democratic party "rigged" it for her.
She has become an Anti-Biden/Harris administration when they shut her out in the 2020 Democratic Convention. A first for a candidate with political primary points. This was probably due because of Harris's vendetta against Tulsi because Tulsi wiped out Harris during the debates.
   
Before you post know what you are talking about. Despite being hired by Fox News[other liberals work there as well] and endorsing Republicans last year. Her views below have not changed. 

(03-25-2023, 11:43 AM)GMDino Wrote: I saw what you wrote earlier.  I responded directly to your quote: 



And I responded with her repeating conservative talking points at an ultra-conservative event.

So, no, I didn't bring up Biden or Van Jones or anyone other that the subject of the quote.  And I responded with how many of her "views/policies" are not "left".

If want to try and say she is a "centrist" then maybe.  But she is not "left".  At least not anymore.  And at least not while trying to be a VP for a Republican candidate.  IMHO.

:::EDIT:::

I wanted to add this about the others you mentioned:

Paul didn't exactly go there to back he views of the right:





And I can't find where he's been there recently.  

@jondmaas @AIPAC Used to go to CPAC to debate @TuckerCarlson. They've stopped inviting me.

— Paul Begala (@PaulBegala) March 1, 2015

 

It seems CPAC has gone more right (refer to your drawing above and realistically move the right also) and Tulsi fit right in. 

Van Jones, in 2019, praised Republicans for stealing "his issue" of prison reform.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2019/03/01/cpac-2019-van-jones-praises-conservatives-criminal-justice-reform/3029530002/

And that was during a panel.  Not giving a speech.

AGAIN, not there to repeat the right's talking points as Tulsi did.  Talking points that are certainly not "left".

Again I can find where he has been to a CPAC since then.

I'll look deeper into it when I have a chance to see if I'm wrong...because I'm certain no one will tell me. 

(03-25-2023, 02:44 PM)BIGDADDYFROMCINCINNATI Wrote: So the interview Tulsi had with Chris Cuomo sounded like she was a watered-down QAnon believer talking about the Democrat party being a bunch of warmongers,  led by a global conspiracy of elitists.  I'm sorry but that is pure far-right lunacy.  All the other things you listed go right out the window as soon as someone starts down on the far-right conspiracy lunatic fringe of Q-Anonsense aka Trailer park Scientologists standing around a meth lab.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvxTPwV4xeg

(03-25-2023, 05:22 PM)BengalYankee Wrote: Again sneakily, you avoid my multiple points where she has liberal views. In fact many of them too liberal for me.

(03-25-2023, 05:22 PM)BengalYankee Wrote: A person like you is something else, if you don't march lockstep with liberal loonies you are outcasted. 
The issue if I have to keep reminding you is a Centrist Democrat, you know one who is not a freaking sheep.
You ignore the link I provided where she went to say "Can we just get along?", but a sheep won't like that.
It's people like you who are ruining our country. Moderates to you are a bad word like a RINO's or Blue Dog's.
Very rarely do you have Bi-partisan votes in Congress?

Are you so blind that she has a vendetta against Biden/Harris administration[mainly Harris] by the first time not inviting a person to the Democratic Convention who had primary points[more than Harris, who had to drop out].
She also has an issue against Hillary, but you don't see her have a vendetta against Bernie. 
Quite frankly, if Bernie runs[he won't] in 2024 and won the Presidency, she would have a position. Not with this administration and I don't blame her for going against this administration[specifically, Harris]. 

So you don't like talking about her liberal views, talk to me about her 180 degree flops, like Biden and Harris. No, you will keep posting about Tulsi's views against Hilliary, Biden/Harris administration, Ukraine War[Far right people like Hannity and Mark Levin are for], Fake Women who are taking scholarships from our real Sisters in sports.

But ignore the other Far Left views she has.

You are someone else will retort foolishly about her on Fox news, but you won't say what they allow to say on Fox news.

1. Bashing Biden/Harris Administration.
2. Ukraine War. 
3. Transgender men replacing our Sisters in Sports.
Again Sheep, if she does march lockstep with you then 
Again, it's people like you that are ruining our country. No one person should be 100% Republican or Democrat.
We really shouldn't have parties. We should vote on the person we believe have the most issues we believe in as individuals. 

(03-25-2023, 02:44 PM)BIGDADDYFROMCINCINNATI Wrote: So the interview Tulsi had with Chris Cuomo sounded like she was a watered-down QAnon believer talking about the Democrat party being a bunch of warmongers,  led by a global conspiracy of elitists.  I'm sorry but that is pure far-right lunacy.  All the other things you listed go right out the window as soon as someone starts down on the far-right conspiracy lunatic fringe of Q-Anonsense aka Trailer park Scientologists standing around a meth lab.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvxTPwV4xeg

(03-22-2023, 06:48 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: She isn't really an isolationist. For many of her positions she is more progressive than mainstream Democratic politicians. Where she ran into her troubles was with her LGBTQ positions, which she has flip-flopped on several times. She ran afoul of the Democratic base with her position on trans issues which has since caused her positions on "wokeness" to revert back to ones more akin to her positions pre-Congress. She has also shown to be a little anti-science on some other things.

(03-25-2023, 05:37 PM)BengalYankee Wrote: What you wrote is idiotic.
How old are you?
Up until recently, it was the Republicans who were and still are in my opinion the warmonger party.
Do you at least remember Dick Cheney and the war in Iraq?????

Do you remember that not all Democrats were for that war, but Senator Hillary was for that war.

Also this war ...


Do you know that Tulsi volunteered and still is a member of the Military?
Do you know the reason why many Democrats turned against her was when she went against President Obama and went to see the president of Syria for peace? Say what you want but she is consistent as she is also against the war in Ukraine.

That's enough it seems you are bringing up talking points of Tulsi's haters instead of having a real intelligent conversation.

(03-26-2023, 12:31 AM)BIGDADDYFROMCINCINNATI Wrote: I agree Bush and Cheney lied to us in a war with Iraq that only made matters worse by creating Isis and made Iran stronger.  All Democrats or anyone who opposed the Iraq war for that matter was called unpatriotic by the right.   I agree Hillary was a war hawk and if the Democrats stuck with Bernie, he would have beat Trump;  however, that's not what we're talking about here.

You keep sidestepping Gabbard's interview comments to Cuomo, and Tulsi saying, "Global Cabal of warmongering elitists democrats who want never-ending wars."  Ukraine is important b/c that's the new front and you just cannot let dictators run rampant over a newly formed democracy.  Did you remember from history class how Hitler was appeased by Chamberlin in the Sudetenland?   Please explain her comments to Cuomo. 

I originally said, Gabbard's interview comments to Chris Cuomo sounded like that of far-right rhetoric so I really don't know what to think of her at this point.