March 4, 2021

Thank God there's at least one prominent Democrat in Florida to speak out about this disgusting "donations for vaccines" practice by Trump mini-me Ron DeSantis. The state agriculture official called it "corruption at its worst."

The Miami Herald reported yesterday that former Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner made a $250,000 campaign contribution to Ron DeSantis last week after the high-end Florida Keys community where Rauner owns a home were among the first in the state to receive COVID-19 vaccinations. Via the Sun-Sentinel:

Rauner’s connection to the favorable treatment first was reported Wednesday by the Miami Herald, which obtained a memo the management of the exclusive Ocean Reef Club sent to residents noting that its medical center had vaccinations for residents age 65 and over while most Floridians struggled to access the shots. DeSantis has used the state’s vaccination program to open special distribution sites in select communities while skipping state and local vaccine registration logs, various Florida news outlets have reported..

The Herald reported that since DeSantis started sending vaccines to select communities, his campaign had raised $2.7 million in February alone — the most since his run for governor in 2018. The highly exclusive Ocean Reef Club where Rauner lives is a gated community with more than 2,000 members, according to Sotheby’s International Realty.

How DeSantis has rolled out the vaccines in Florida has come under scrutiny. State data has shown Black residents receiving the shots at a rate that is far less than their share of the state’s population.

Ah yes, of course the unctuous DeSantis is trying to follow in Trump's footsteps! This sums it up nicely, doesn't it?

In its report, the Herald stated that contributions to DeSantis’ political fund surged amid the disbursement of vaccines, noting the only contributions the Florida governor received from the Florida Keys were from Ocean Reef residents.

From the Tampa Bay Times:

Since DeSantis started using the state’s vaccine initiative to steer special pop-up vaccinations to select communities, his political committee has raised $2.7 million in the month of February alone, more than any other month since he first ran for governor in 2018, records show.

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