Governor Ron DeSantis has nixed a proposal supported by some Florida Republicans for taxpayers to pay Donald Trump’s legal bills.
The bill collapsed after DeSantis threatened to veto it on Monday.
The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Ileana Garcia, would have allocated up to $5 million to fight Trump’s legal battles.
It quickly gained momentum, winning an endorsement from Jimmy Patronis, Florida’s chief financial officer.
However, Garcia withdrew her bill two hours after DeSantis’ post.
Even before the governor weighed in, Garcia’s proposal faced long odds. Politico’s Gary Fineout reported that a companion bill had yet to be introduced in the Florida House of Representatives. Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo demurred when asked for comment:
“President Trump has the means to cover his legal expenses; however, many people do not, which is Senator Garcia’s concern,” Passidomo said in a statement forwarded by her office. “You should reach out to Senator Garcia about her bill. She does a great job. It is not helpful or necessary for me to weigh in on every bill.”
Trump is at the center of four separate criminal cases, including a federal case that he hoarded classified documents at his resort home in Palm Beach County and hindered efforts by federal authorities to retrieve the documents. He is also facing charges in New York in connection to hush money payments made to a porn star as well as charges in Georgia related to election interference. In Washington, Trump is facing charges that he tried to overturn the 2020 election.
Nikki Fried, the chair of the Florida Democratic Party, blasted Republicans for pushing the bill instead of working on other issues such as the state’s ongoing affordability problems, including the property insurance crisis.
“What this shows you is who the Florida GOP is loyal to because it’s certainly not the people of Florida,” Fried said in a text message. “Senator Garcia’s victim-card bill is a disgrace and should inflame any Floridian who cares about where their tax dollars are going.”
Patronis — who oversees the state treasury — argued there’s a legitimate reason for Florida taxpayers to foot Trump’s legal bills.
“If we can help and support a Florida candidate for the White House, that’s just good from a dollars and cents perspective,” he claimed. “From all the decisions the federal government makes with regard to military installations, to roads, to disaster aid — 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. Moreover, if Governor DeSantis makes another run at it, he has said that he too could face the same legal headwinds that President Trump is facing.”
READ NEXT: Federal Appeals Court Keeps Trump Muzzled
