Republican state Sen. Ileana Garcia will withdraw her bill that would have made taxpayers pay for former Donald Trump’s legal bills because…of a crowded GOP presidential primary?
Garcia said she would withdraw the bill supposedly because the primary is no longer crowded.
But the decision came after backlash and Gov. Ron DeSantis saying he would veto the bill.
“This bill was filed on January 5th amidst a crowded primary, including two Florida residents,” Garcia wrote on X. “My concern was the political weaponization against conservative candidates, and while Jimmy Patronis [Florida’s Chief Financial Officer & State Fire Marshal] 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. I will be withdrawing the bill. SB 1740.”
S.B. 1740 “would provide up to $5 million in financial support to Florida residents running for President who face legal, partisan, political attacks by the Department of Justice or State Attorneys,” according to a press release from Patronis.
“We need this Freedom Fighters Fund because as the Free State of Florida, we’re facing an onslaught of attacks from the federal government against the Sunshine State,” stated Patronis. “If we can help and support a Florida candidate for the White House, that’s just good from a dollars and cents perspective. 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.”
The $5 million would come from the Public Campaign Finance – Matching Fund’s Program. Voluntary donations from driver’s license registrations would fund any backfill.
There were people who expressed anger at DeSantis.
I don’t know why. I don’t want to pay for anyone’s legal bills, especially those who can easily afford them.
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