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Smear campaign underway against DeSantis’ sheriff pick 4 May 2020 10:10 AM (5 years ago)

For whatever reason, every election year Broward County always manages to steal the show when it comes to shady campaign practices. The 2020 election cycle is no different, and we are not referring to the embarrassment that is the Broward Republican Executive Committee, yet but there is still plenty of time for that group of misfits to step in it.

As expected, Broward County’s sheriff’s race has gotten downright ugly, considering that former and disgraced Sheriff Scott Israel is running to win back his old job after getting fired by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Israel, the former Republican-turned-Democrat, was suspended by newly-minted Gov. Ron DeSantis after his keystone cops Sheriff’s office bumbled the response to February 14, 2018, mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

The Florida Senate then voted to permanently and officially remove Sheriff from office. The bipartisan vote roiled Israel, who then looked for a judicial remedy, but that route was also blocked by a judge.

Like we said, Israel is running for his old job again, and it appears that the former sheriff has taken the gloves off in his efforts to diminish DeSantis’ appointee Sheriff Gregory Tony.

Israel, who is currently locked in a contentious Democratic primary race with Sheriff Tony, maybe running a smear campaign against him.

Just this past weekend, news broke that Sheriff Tony shot and killed a man in self-defense when he was 14-years-old. In response to the news story of the 1993 shooting incident, Tony reiterated that the person he shot, a known armed drug-dealer, threatened then chased him and his brother home.

Tony shot and killed the man there, and was then given a petition of delinquency was issued by Pennsylvania authorities because he was a juvenile. Tony was never arrested and charged as some media outlets have reported.

Tony’s self-defense or stand your ground case defense was solid, and the judge and jury agreed, acquitting him of any wrongdoing.

“He [Rodriguez] pulled his gun out and made threats, saying he didn’t have any issue shooting me and my brother. … We ran into the house and he chased after us. Fortunately, I was able to get my father’s gun,” Tony said about the incident. “Before he was able to shoot me and my brother, I was able to defend myself and shoot him.”

According to sources, a private investigator has been poking around in Philadelphia, speaking to people with direct and indirect knowledge of the shooting incident.

Could it be the same Blue Line Investigations private investigator Michael Fisten that Scott Israel hired from his political committee?

According to finance reports, Scott’s Committee for a Stronger Broward paid the investigative firm $1,195 for services rendered.

Now, only a day or two after the 27-year-old self-defense case broke, images of Tony and his wife at an apparent swinger’s party that were taken well before he was appointed by DeSantis, were leaked to the media.

Even after having a rough weekend, DeSantis still appears to be 100% behind Tony. Why wouldn’t he be?

The shooting incident was justified, and the images released are just pictures of Tony and his wife posing for pictures at an alleged swingers party.

The leaking of those risqué images of Tony and wife is nothing less than tasteless and appears to be a political move aimed specifically to shake support away from DeSantis on moral grounds.

Comparing Tony’s presumed past with Israel’s on-the-job fiasco of a record and poor leadership that is blamed for the killing of 17 innocent children and teachers at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018, Tony’s apparent missteps are overshadowed by the accusations made against Israel

Oh, and because Tony is well ahead of Israel in fundraising and campaign momentum due to his response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the motive for a smear campaign by Israel writes itself.

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Copy of Online gaming company has business ties to Iran 17 Feb 2020 8:09 PM (5 years ago)

Lottery giant Scientific Games Digital has filed a protest against an online gaming permit application submitted by SBTech because the company doesn’t list specific list which countries it does business with.

The protest doesn’t name a specific country, but public records show questionable ties to Middle East nations that have a history of promoting radical ideologies.

Online records and company gaming profiles show that businesses that use SBTech technology reach out to online customers in Iran and Turkey, where gaming is restricted or illegal yet have unregulated black market activity.

SBTech maintains it does no business in Iran or Turkey and thoroughly vets customers who rely on its technology. Companies are checked for compliance with anti-money-laundering regulations and gaming regulations in their jurisdictions, company officials told the Statesman Journal in a statement.

Customers are contractually banned from operating in forbidden territories, the company’s statement said, and SBTech takes action to stop any activities found in restricted areas.

SBTech deactivated one of its websites this week after the Statesman Journal inquired about its link to sports leagues, including Turkish teams, listed by JokerBet. A separate company that used to be affiliated with SBTech, JokerBet operates in multiple countries, including Turkey, according to its online profile.

Asked about the reason for the change, the company said the link was a “very old operator website.”

“The company it was associated with has not had any relationship with SBTech for some time,” SBTech officials said in a statement. “When it was brought to our attention yesterday that the testing URL was still left out there by mistake, it was removed.”

The company said it “categorically denies that any of its customers or resellers are taking wagers from Iran or Turkey” and those countries are on its list of excluded territories that customers and resellers are expected to follow.

The company says information that “may appear on random affiliate sites on the web is inaccurate, unverifiable and cannot be relied upon.”

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Air Force veteran Anna Luna runs Charlie Crist 17 Feb 2020 8:08 PM (5 years ago)

Air Force veteran and former Turning Point USA spokesperson Anna Paulina Luna has just announced she is running for the U.S. Congress against Democratic Congressman Charlie Crist in Florida’s 13^th congressional district.

In her announcement video filled with pro-America, pro-Military images, the Mexican-American Luna tells her family’s story of addiction and her personal story of perseverance and personal accomplishments.

Congratulations @MarianoRivera! pic.twitter.com/ek4VGj0p0s

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 16, 2019

“This community deserves to be served by someone who isn’t afraid to stand up and fight for its future. Throughout my life, I’ve been knocked down, underestimated and told I wasn’t enough. But every time, I picked myself up and came back fighting. I’m a warrior… and I’ll fight with the same passion for the people of Pinellas County,” said Luna. “I’m extremely excited to earn the opportunity to represent Florida’s 13^th District in Congress. I look forward to protecting our veterans and service members, the Constitution and our natural environment. I can’t wait to meet every voter, share my plan and earn their support.”

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Majority of Floridians oppose impeachment of President Trump 30 Oct 2019 12:31 PM (5 years ago)

While the growing majority of House Democrats support impeaching President Trump, and scheduled to take a vote to do so on Thursday, a new NY Times poll shows that while most Americans support an impeachment inquiry, Floridians do not suppose the potential measure.

According to the Times’ poll, 53% of Floridians oppose the impeachment of President Trump, while 42% support it. As far as the impeachment inquiry goes, 49% of Floridians support the inquiry process in the House, with 44% opposing it.

Here is some poll internals that was posted in the Sun-Sentinel:

Impeachment and removal by group

Gender: Women are more supportive of impeachment and removal than men. Among men, it’s 38% in support and 57% opposed. Among women, 46% to 48%.

Race: Majorities of black and Hispanic voters support impeachment and removal. White voters are opposed. Among whites, 32% in support and 63% opposed. Among black voters, 67% are in support and 15% opposed. Among Hispanics, the split is 53% to 42%.

Age: There’s relatively little difference based on age. The youngest voters, age 18 to 29, split 48% in support and 49% opposed. Voters 65 and older split 46% to 51%.

Political party: The biggest difference, not surprisingly, is shown in people of different political parties. Democrats support impeachment and removal 85% to 11%. Republicans are the opposite, with 8% in support and 88% opposed. Independent voters lean against it, with 35% supporting and 59% opposed.

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Matt Gaetz files ethics complaint against Rep. Schiff over impeachment 30 Oct 2019 12:29 PM (5 years ago)

It was only a matter of time before House Republicans were going to file an ethics complaint against Rep. Adam Schiff (D) and anyone involved in the impeachment inquiry into President Trump.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R), one of Trump’s staunchest allies in the House, filed a formal ethics complaint against Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff for his alleged “unconstitutional and secret handling of the impeachment inquiry.”

Here is how the complaint reads:

• Distorting President Trump’s telephone call with President Zelensky of Ukraine in such a way as to make the President appear he was asking for something illegal, a violation of parliamentary procedure and House Rule XXIII;
• Repeatedly lying to the public about “Russian collusion” with President Trump’s campaign, which Special Counsel Mueller proved to be nonexistent; and
• Preventing Rep. Gaetz from attending ‘impeachment inquiry’ depositions, even though the Judiciary Committee (of which Rep. Gaetz is a member) shares jurisdiction on impeachment matters, a violation of House Rule XI and the Regulations for the Use of Deposition Authority adopted by the 116th Congress.

“Chairman Schiff has abused his authority and seems to believe that the rules of the House of Representatives do not apply to him,” Rep. Gaetz said. “We cannot have a multi-tiered justice system in the United States or in Congress. His egregious behavior must change immediately.”

Gaetz has acted as somewhat of a Republican rabble-rouser in the House, having been thrown out of a closed-door impeachment hearing a couple of weeks back, and taking part in the Republican sit-in last week during an inquiry interview of a witness.

Gaetz says that Schiff has embarrassed the U.S. House of Representatives and has breached ethics rules, saying that he has fallen short of House ethical standards.

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Who will face President Donald Trump in 2020? POLL 18 Aug 2019 7:11 AM (6 years ago)

It’s still very early in the 2020 campaign season, but there is already talk that former Democratic Vice President Joe Biden will not be able to sustain his lead, and will concede the all-but assured nomination to one of the more socialist-minded candidates like Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders.

Sanders is hemorrhaging support, so it looks as if Warren has the advantage. With over 20 candidates vying for the Democratic Party nomination, only a handful of them is deemed viable due to polling.

Here are the top five Democratic presidential candidates.

Who do you think will face off with President Donald Trump? TAKE THE POLL!!!

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Florida Lawmakers Want Accessible Liquefied Natural gas 20 Mar 2019 11:14 AM (6 years ago)

Florida Congressmen Ted Yoho and Michael Waltz have introduced the Small Scale LNG Access Act, which will “streamline permitting of natural gas facilities that export less than 51.1 billion cubic feet per year.”

In a press release, it’s explained that “the current permitting process for LNG export facilities is expensive, and small-scale projects often are not cost effective.” The release added that “reducing the time and investment required for small-scale exports will benefit U.S. production, manufacturing, and construction jobs while also reducing trade deficits with regional allies.” Finally, it’s explained that “increasing LNG exports, even on a small scale, will have positive economic impacts for Florida and support cleaner energy alternatives.”

Congressman Waltz weighed in on the necessity for this measure, and he touched on the move to avoid using oil from Venezuela. As tensions rise in Venezuela and Maduro is slammed for his oppressive regime, Waltz noted that “this bill makes American liquefied natural gas accessible and cost-effective to regional allies that no longer want to rely on Venezuelan oil,” which the Florida Congressman calls “Maduro’s socialist oil.”

Congressman Yoho also commented on the measure, detailing that “with America’s vast natural gas reserves, JAXPORT in North Central Florida is in a position to be a valuable trading hub to meet global demand for Liquefied Natural Gas exports.” He further explained that “at the end of 2018, demand for LNG has seen a sixty-percent increase from what it was in 2017.” In turn, Yoho argued that there is a need to “capitalize on the growth of this energy sector.”

Explaining that “Jacksonville is an ideal location to service the needs of the Caribbean, South America and the rest of the world with abundant, clean-burning American natural gas,” Yoho added that “this will not only mean good paying jobs regionally but increased economic benefits for our state economy as well.”

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President Trump pens $100K check to Homeland Security 19 Mar 2019 7:20 AM (6 years ago)

President Trump and the congress are still light years away from coming to agreeing on funding the border wall, but now it appears as if Homeland Security is a little bit closer to finding the money it needs to secure the southern border.

During his 2016 presidential campaign, then-candidate Donald Trump spent a whopping $66.1 million of his personal wealth to win his race against Hillary Clinton.

Since becoming president, Trump has donated his $400,000 yearly salary to different government agencies, like HUD, Department of Energy, or Homeland Security.

Trump has just posted the $100,000 personal check he just wrote to the Dept. of Homeland Security, but not without taking a swipe at the national press corps, or the “FAKE NEWS MEDIA” as he likes to call them.

While the press doesn’t like writing about it, nor do I need them to, I donate my yearly Presidential salary of $400,000.00 to different agencies throughout the year, this to Homeland Security. If I didn’t do it there would be hell to pay from the FAKE NEWS MEDIA!

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Tomato Suspension Agreement Withdrawal Praised by FL Lawmakers 17 Mar 2019 7:54 AM (6 years ago)

A bipartisan group of Florida lawmakers is praising the Trump administration for ending an agreement with Mexican tomato growers.

The effort gained momentum when, last month, Senator Marco Rubio and Congressman Ted Yoho directed a letter to Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross to end the agreement, which the lawmakers insisted “has allowed unfair competition to increasingly put U.S. tomato growers out of business.”

In turn, the Commerce Department announced that they would be withdrawing from the agreement by May 7th, but the decision was blasted by the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas who sent a tweet to Ross saying that “the demand for vine-ripened Mexican tomatoes has built up a supply chain that supports over 33,000 U.S. jobs and nearly $3 billion in U.S. GDP.”

In response to the criticism, Senator Marco Rubio detailed that “Florida benefits greatly from fairly traded imports through some of the best seaport infrastructure in the world. Unfortunately, Mexican seasonal fruit and vegetable imports continue to pour in across the southern border with little regard for the rules that are supposed to guarantee that freely imported goods are also fairly traded.” Rubio also noted that “the faulty economic foundation created by this unfair foreign trade continues to enrich Mexican producers and domestic importers and distributors at the expense of domestic producers.”

Congressman Yoho responded to the criticism as well, explaining that “our domestic tomato industry has been harmed by Mexican producers dumping tomatoes in the U.S. market.” Then, he praised the Department of Commerce’s decision as “the right decision to withdraw from the Tomato Suspension Agreement so these unfair trading practices can be properly addressed.” Yoho also added that “our domestic producers must have a level playing field, and that requires the enforcement of rules that guarantee fair trade.”

Both Senator Rubio and Congressman Yoho, who are members of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee, called the criticism to the decision “short-sighted.”

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Patronis Questions DNA Testing Companies’ User Confidentiality 16 Mar 2019 4:24 AM (6 years ago)

Last week, a bill was introduced by Florida Republican state Senator Aaron Bean with the goal of stopping genetic testing from being used by life insurance companies against clients.

Genetic testing has been embroiled in some controversy after the President of FamilyTreeDNA apologized to its users because the company has been sharing the DNA data with the FBI.

In turn, Jimmy Patronis, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, is calling on companies that provide genetic testing to treat the information like medical records.

In a statement, Patronis reminded the companies that “before medical records can be released, explicit consent is required.” He further explained that “your DNA contains health data, regardless if that is specifically tested.” So, Patronis called “on DNA-testing companies to treat… DNA information as such and implement a transparent notification and release process prior to inking deals for profit and sharing data with government entities.”

Bean’s bill would stop genetic testing from being used by life insurance companies to deny coverage, lift coverage or pull coverage based on the test results, and Bean explained that “most people would shudder to think that type of information could be sold without their knowledge.”

So, in introducing the bill, it “protects Floridians’ private genetic information from companies seeking to sell their data for a profit.” Bean added that “No one should be denied life insurance simply because they took a DNA test without reading the fine print.” And, Bean also praised the Florida CFO for his support, saying that “Patronis’ support for this legislation is essential and shows his dedication to protecting Floridians’ personal information.”

Patronis pointed to a deal that 23andMe made with a big pharma company called GlaxoSmithKline for $300 million, saying that he has “serious questions about how customers are notified of such deals.”

The Florida CFO asserted that “while DNA testing companies defend their actions because customers ‘opt-in’ to blanket privacy policies, customers must be able to reevaluate their willingness to have their genome data shared outside the original intent.”

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