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Presented by Alibaba: Kimberly Leonard's must-read briefing on what's hot, crazy or shady about politics in the Sunshine State | | | | |  | | By Kimberly Leonard | | | |  Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, front left, gestures as speaks to supporters and members of the media before a bill signing by Gov. Ron DeSantis, Nov. 18, 2021, in Brandon, Fla. | Chris O'Meara/AP Photo | Good morning and welcome to November. One of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ most controversial Florida officials will join him on the campaign trail. Florida’s top medical official, Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, will be with the governor in New Hampshire at an event hosted by Never Back Down, the super PAC backing DeSantis’ candidacy. The event, billed as a “Medical Freedom Town Hall,” is expected to focus on how DeSantis banned vaccine and mask mandates in Florida and pushed schools to reopen during the pandemic — actions that drew vitriol from the left and endeared him to the right. At the center of many of DeSantis’ Covid efforts has been Ladapo, a Harvard-educated doctor who came to the DeSantis administration from UCLA. Ladapo, a Covid vaccine skeptic, bucked the medical establishment by claiming Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are dangerous for healthy young men and warned people under the age of 65 against getting the latest boosters. He was also criticized for supporting hydroxychloroquine, the anti-malaria drug heralded as a coronavirus treatment by former President Donald Trump. Those views have put Ladapo outside the medical mainstream. But he has DeSantis’ full support. “Joe is an example of what you need to be able to deal with this medical swamp,” DeSantis told PBD Podcast on Monday. The governor said that until Ladapo joined in September 2021, he struggled to find a doctor “to stand with me and say I was right” because his early decisions regarding the pandemic were unpopular. Data the New York Times collected until March recorded 87,000 Covid-related deaths in Florida, but when the rates were adjusted for age the state ended up better than the national average. New Hampshire is an interesting venue for DeSantis and Ladapo to air their anti-Covid vaccine positions, given that centrist GOP Gov. Chris Sununu urged Granite State residents to get the shot and refused to block private employers from setting vaccine mandates — though the “Live Free or Die” leader did explicitly prohibit forcing people to get the jab as a condition of accessing public facilities, such as libraries. It’s unusual for a government official to appear at a campaign event for his boss’ presidential bid. (A Florida Phoenix article said a flier noted he was attending in his personal capacity.) Ladapo donated $400 to DeSantis’ presidential run in June, records filed with the Federal Elections Commission show. The total is less than what several other DeSantis administration officials have given, several of whom maxed out in what they’re allowed to contribute. It doesn’t appear that Ladapo donated to Never Back Down, but the available records only go up to June 30. Newer figures won’t be available for the public to see until January. — WHERE'S RON? Gov. DeSantis will appear at an event in Manchester, N.H., with Never Back Down, the super PAC supporting him. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch at: kleonard@politico.com | | A message from Alibaba: Alibaba means big business for U.S. companies, like Florida’s DS Laboratories and Timberwolf Pet Foods. $66 billion worth of American goods were sold across the globe through Alibaba’s online marketplace last year alone. These sales significantly impact Florida’s economy and boost local businesses. U.S. sales on Alibaba added $1.7 billion to the state’s economy, supporting 15,000 local jobs and $936 million in wages. Learn more about Alibaba’s positive impact on Florida’s economy. | | | |  | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | HAPPENING TODAY — Officials from Florida’s Office of Economic and Demographic research are meeting to discuss which factors to consider when projecting the economic impact of passing an abortion rights amendment. If it makes the 2024 ballot and passes, abortion would be legal in Florida without limits for roughly up to 24 weeks in a pregnancy, and then later for broadly defined health reasons. During another meeting in October, officials had a hard time deciding how to proceed because they didn't know what the status of Florida’s abortion laws will be in a year. The state’s law restricting abortion at 15 weeks — with no rape or incest exceptions — is in effect, but the state Supreme Court is expected to rule whether the law violates Florida’s constitution. If the justices uphold the law, then it’ll trigger Florida’s 6-week abortion ban to take effect within 30 days — and that too is expected to be challenged. Ballot campaign organizers, health department representatives and members of the governor’s office and Legislature are attending the meeting, says POLITICO’s Arek Sarkissian. Officials won’t be making a final decision on cost and savings until after a Nov. 16 meeting.
|  Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody speaks during a news conference with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) | Chris O'Meara/AP | IT'S HIS PRIVILEGE — Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody and the DeSantis administration have asserted in a new legal filing that many records of the governor are covered by “executive privilege” and are not subject to the state’s public records law — including a constitutional amendment passed by voters in 1992 that was meant to guarantee public access to government records. The argument stems from an ongoing legal battle over records surrounding DeSantis’ Supreme Court choices. The governor’s office refused to hand over records, citing executive privilege, a concept recognized at the federal level but not in Florida. The person seeking the records — who has remained anonymous — filed a lawsuit. Judge Angela Dempsey, who was first appointed to the bench by then-Gov. Jeb Bush, sided with the DeSantis administration. The case has been pending with the 1st District Court of Appeal. Late Monday the attorney general’s legal team — which was not involved in the initial case — and attorneys for DeSantis filed a lengthy brief outlining various reasons why the case should be tossed. The reasons included the idea that DeSantis is covered by executive privilege and does not have to disclose records connected to his “constitutional functions.” Michael Barfield with Florida Center for Government Accountability said this interpretation could wind up shielding many records held by the governor’s office. “The breadth of it is just stunning,” Barfield said. “The sky’s the limit … Unbridled raw executive power.” — Gary Fineout EN BANC — Florida appeals judges appear ready to side with DeSantis in redistricting challenge, by POLITICO’s Gary Fineout. Several judges sounded skeptical — and at times outright openly critical — of the ongoing challenge against the new districts DeSantis muscled through the Legislature. In one remarkable moment, several judges on the 13-member judicial panel rushed to the defense of DeSantis when a lawyer for the civil rights groups suing the state suggested that DeSantis lacks the power to declare something unconstitutional on his own. LITERALLY DONE — Florida joins conservative states severing ties with the American Library Association, reports POLITICO’s Andrew Atterbury. The agency in charge of Florida’s public libraries issued a new rule in October forbidding any grant activities tied to the 150-year-old organization, which aids thousands of libraries across the country with training and funding. The move by the DeSantis administration puts Florida in line with a cadre of GOP states and lawmakers leveling scrutiny on ALA, labeling the group as “toxic” and a “conduit” for exposing children to pornography — claims refuted by the organization and its supporters. PURCHASED — Florida and Palm Beach County are investing in Israel bonds after Hamas’ attack, reported Abigail Hasebroock of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis on Tuesday announced Florida’s $120 million purchase and Palm Beach County announced a $135 million purchase. | | | | GO INSIDE THE CAPITOL DOME: From the outset, POLITICO has been your eyes and ears on Capitol Hill, providing the most thorough Congress coverage — from political characters and emerging leaders to leadership squabbles and policy nuggets during committee markups and hearings. We're stepping up our game to ensure you’re fully informed on every key detail inside the Capitol Dome, all day, every day. Start your day with Playbook AM, refuel at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report and enrich your evening discussions with Huddle. Plus, stay updated with real-time buzz all day through our brand new Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here. | | | | | | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | |
START OVER — “As scrutiny mounts, DeSantis’ Disney district cancels no-bid 911 contract,” by the Orlando Sentinel’s Skyler Swisher. The DeSantis-appointed Disney oversight district “revealed Tuesday it had canceled a contract with a politically connected telecommunications entrepreneur’s company as scrutiny mounted over its decision not to open the project to competitive bids.” The former company’s founder, Freddie Figgers, “briefly served with Disney district administrator Glen Gilzean on the Florida Commission on Ethics. Both were appointed to the ethics board by DeSantis.”
ANOTHER DELAY— Moody says FAU presidential search committee violated state law. The opinion “is expected to further delay FAU’s search for a new president and may force the entire presidential search process to start again,” legal and Sunshine experts told Scott Travis of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | | | | | A message from Alibaba:   | | | RERUN — “Chad Klitzman, who lost a 2020 contest by just 0.3%, running for Florida Senate,” by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Anthony Man. “Klitzman is 29. If elected, he’d be the youngest member of the Florida Senate, one of the few Jewish senators and among two or three openly LGBTQ senators, depending on the results in other 2024 elections.” The seat is in Broward County, which is considered safe Democratic territory. CLOSER LOOK — The latest Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa poll poll undermines the DeSantis campaign’s claims that his candidacy has momentum, reports The Messenger’s Marc Caputo. It revealed that DeSantis was tied with former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley at 16 percent and that Trump was ahead of the field at 43 percent. Eye-popping finding from the report: Trump’s MAGA Inc. super PAC has spent $21.5 million attacking DeSantis, according to campaign finance records. That’s more than spent attacking any other presidential candidate this cycle, said independent campaign finance analyst Rob Pyers.
| | | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | | |
HAPPENING TODAY — Federal Judge Aileen Cannon is holding a hearing in Fort Pierce, Fla., to go over the trial schedule for the classified documents case against Trump. The big questions are whether Cannon will keep the May 20 trial date or delay it, and when she’ll make a decision.
Trump’s legal team asked to push the trial back until after the 2024 presidential election, to mid-November, saying it’ll take a long time to review more than 1 million pages of evidence pertaining to the case. They’ve said in court filings that they also haven’t received all the evidence documents they need from federal prosecutors to proceed and note that Trump is already facing other trial dates next year that will create scheduling conflicts. Cannon, who was appointed by Trump, is overseeing the case — one of four criminal cases the former president is currently facing. In the Florida case, Trump is accused of illegally hoarding government materials and obstructing the investigation against him. | | | | PLAYBOOK IS GOING GLOBAL! We’re excited to introduce Global Playbook, POLITICO’s premier newsletter that brings you inside the most important conversations at the most influential events in the world. From the buzzy echoes emanating from the snowy peaks at the WEF in Davos to the discussions and personalities at Milken Global in Beverly Hills, to the heart of diplomacy at UNGA in New York City – author Suzanne Lynch brings it all to your fingertips. Experience the elite. Witness the influential. And never miss a global beat. BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | | | DATELINE D.C. | |
OPEN ENROLLMENT — Starting today through Jan. 15, Floridians can sign up for “Obamacare” coverage, a program where the federal government helps people pay their health insurance premiums through Healthcare.gov. At 3.2 million, Florida had the highest number of sign ups last year compared to any other state, according to Verónica Zaragovia at WLRN.
Tell Playbook about the prices you’re seeing and what the coverage is like: KLeonard@politico.com. | 
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) speaks with reporters as he departs a vote at the Capitol on Sept. 27, 2023. | Francis Chung/POLITICO |
TWO FOR ONE — U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz got a “hero’s welcome” at an event in his home district where he boasted about his actions to overthrow Kevin McCarthy as speaker, reports Pensacola News Journal’s Tom McLaughlin. “They say Matt Gaetz is full of chaos,” Gaetz said. “Well, there are times you can have constructive chaos and bring order out of chaos.” Gaetz’s father, former Florida Senate President Don Gaetz, who is running for the Florida Senate again, also spoke at the event.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR VENEZUELA? — Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) tore into Venezuela’s leaders in a post on X after the country’s Supreme Court effectively annulled the recent primary where María Corina Machado won a vast majority of the vote. The actions showed President Nicolás Maduro’s “true intentions never to give up his power or allow freedom to return to Venezuela,” Scott wrote. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said on X that the Biden administration should never have agreed to an oil sanctions deal, which came with promises from Venezuela of a free election. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told Rubio in a hearing Tuesday that the administration was looking into the situation and that, “If the regime has, in fact, violated the agreement that it reached, then, of course, we’ll take the necessary action,” reported Antonio Maria Delgado of the Miami Herald. | | TRANSITION TIME | |
— Jenn Miller is now a legislative assistant for Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.). She previously was a legislative assistant for Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and is an Israel Policy Forum alum.
— Also in Frankel’s office, Dan Kaufman was promoted from press secretary to communications director. | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | |
BIRTHDAYS: U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar … former State Rep. Cary Pigman … Jesse Panuccio of Boies Schiller Flexner
RIP — “Mel Sembler, Florida developer and top Republican fundraiser, dies at 93,” by Tampa Bay Times’ Jay Cridlin. Sembler, who died from lung cancer, “raised hundreds of millions of dollars for Republicans in races nationwide, from future presidents to local mayors.” — Former President George W. Bush called Sembler “a generous member of his community and a patriotic citizen who represented America well.” | | A message from Alibaba: Florida businesses are making it big in China and having a bigger impact back home. How?
By partnering with Alibaba, an online marketplace that reaches over one billion Chinese consumers, Florida businesses generate enough sales to add $1.7 billion to Florida’s economy, supporting 15,000 local jobs and $936 million in wages.
Alibaba helps emerging and established brands from Florida, like Image Skincare and Tupperware, sell their products to consumers across China. From start to finish, Alibaba partners with U.S. companies to inform their strategy, marketing plan, and sales tools, and even assists with fulfillment so that they can tap into the world’s second largest economy.
This translates to big business for companies of all sizes. Explore how Alibaba benefits local businesses and Florida’s economy. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |  |
