The Tampa Bay Times happens to know the price list if you need access to Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and you’re corporate – or have deep pockets.
Golf in a foursome? $25,000.
Golf one-on-one with DeSantis? $100,000.
A 10- to 15-minute meeting? $25,000.
A dinner event? $150,000.
One hour of an “intimate and high dollar” gathering? $250,000.
Paying for access to powerful politicians is hardly new. President Bill Clinton famously allowed top donors to stay in the Lincoln Bedroom at the White House during the 1990s. President Donald Trump’s acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney once bragged, “If you’re a lobbyist who never gave us money, I didn’t talk to you. If you’re a lobbyist who gave us money, I might talk to you.”
But internal documents from DeSantis’ campaign committee provide a rare peek into the inner workings of the main political operation behind Florida’s top elected official — someone who is often talked about as a potential 2024 presidential candidate.
The money would be paid in the form of donations ‘… to the Republican Party of Florida, which [chair of DeSantis’ political committee Susan] Wiles described in a memo as “interchangeable” with DeSantis’ political committee.’
The privatization of government, one might say, where only those with deep pockets and the favor of the King Governor can hope to benefit. To be fair:
“It would be false and grossly unfair to Gov. DeSantis to assume that any of the ideas proposed in this memo were ever implemented,” [chair of DeSantis’ political committee Susan] Wiles told the Times. “In fact, Gov. DeSantis should be commended for upholding the highest standards of ethics during his campaign and during his service as governor of our state.”
Doesn’t that sound familiar? But …
In the Jan. 20 memo to Strum, Wiles said that DeSantis and the first lady approved the “aggressive” fundraising plan. Casey DeSantis, a key member of DeSantis’ inner circle, intended to play “an integral role in many of these activities,” Wiles added, including events for supporters at the governor’s mansion and dedicated time for thank you calls.
Maybe not exactly illegal, but so likely to result in poor governance that it should be simply called corrupt, with Governor DeSantis landing directly in prison.
Too bad it won’t happen.
