Miami Republican State Senator Ileana Garcia “filed a bill for this year’s legislative session that could allow the state to hand out up to $5 million to former President Donald Trump,” according to a Politico report. The Florida taxpayer funds in Garcia’s bill are earmarked to pay the former president’s legal bills. Republican Jimmy Patronis, the state’s Chief Financial Officer, endorsed the bill.
When Politico pushed the article on social media with the headline ‘Some Florida Republicans want taxpayers to pay Trump’s legal bills,’ Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who endorsed Trump after suspending his presidential run on Sunday, replied: “But not the Florida Republican who wields the veto pen…”
But not the Florida Republican who wields the veto pen… https://t.co/kkc2yyqVK0
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) January 23, 2024
Garcia has since withdrawn the bill. She explained on X: “This bill was filed on January 5th amidst a crowded primary, including two Florida residents.”
She added: “My concern was the political weaponization against conservative candidates, and while Jimmy Patronis brought me this bill at a time when all candidates were committing to campaign through the primary, one frontrunner now remains, and he can handle himself.”
Thank you to @IleanaGarciaUSA who had the guts to fight back against the corrupt Biden regime and put freedom, justice and her constituents first. Together we’ll work hard to ensure President Trump has the support he needs to make our country great again! (5/5)
— Jimmy Patronis (@JimmyPatronis) January 22, 2024
Patronis (who was endorsed by Trump when he ran for Florida CFO) defended the bill by claiming that “it’s in Florida’s best interest to make sure their champion for the President is allowed a fair shot at the White House without being taken down by some fake witch-hunt.”
Nikki Fried, chair of the Florida Democratic Party, referred to it as “Senator Garcia’s victim-card bill.” Fried told Politico that the effort to use Florida taxpayer dollars to pay Trump’s legal bills “is a disgrace and should inflame any Floridian who cares about where their tax dollars are going.”
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