The fight between Gov. Ron DeSantis and a key Republican lawmaker expanded Wednesday night, as online sniping by his staffers toward Rep. Randy Fine yielded his call for the Legislature to probe whether those positions are needed.
Jeremy Redfern, a DeSantis spokesman; Christina Pushaw, a senior analyst in the governor’s office, and Taryn Fenske, a spokeswoman for DeSantis’ political campaigns, teased Fine through a series of posts on the X social media site.
“Will (Fine) give back his Harvard degree now?” Fenske posted above a story about Harvard University hiring former University of Pennsylvania president Liz Magill, who resigned after testifying before Congress about her efforts to combat antisemitism on campus.
If one of my taxpayer-funded staff ever engaged another elected official in the manner in which three members of the Governor’s staff has tonight – and often and routinely does – I would fire them immediately.
Tomorrow, I will be calling on the Senate President and the Speaker…
— Rep. Randy Fine (@VoteRandyFine) August 29, 2024
The post alluded to Fine’s criticism of DeSantis’ trip to Ireland, first reported by the USA TODAY Network – Florida Capital Bureau.
The trip included meetings with Irish businesses designed to generate economic development in Florida, and attendance at the Florida State-Georgia Tech football game in Dublin. But Fine called Ireland an “antisemitic country” that “supports Muslim terror” because it recognized Palestine as a country in May.
The recognition came in the middle of a war between Hamas and Israel, which began Oct. 7 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 and taking 251 hostages. Israel responded by invading the Gaza Strip.
The Gaza Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas, says about 40,000 Gazans have died since the invasion began. That number, though, doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants, and doesn’t identify the causes of death. The Israeli government says it has killed 17,000 combatants.
At the time, Fine vowed to file a bill to put Ireland, as well as Spain and Norway, which also recognized Palestine, on Florida’s scrutinized companies list, which would ban Florida government entities from investing or contracting with companies in those countries. Fine is term-limited in the House but is running for a heavily-Republican state Senate district in Brevard County.
Redfern and Pushaw jumped in with their own posts and sparked a back-and-forth with Fine, who then lambasted them and called for a probe of their activities and questioned whether they should hold their positions.
‘I would fire them immediately,’ Randy Fine posted on X
“If one of my taxpayer-funded staff ever engaged another elected official in the manner in which three members of the Governor’s staff has tonight – and often and routinely does – I would fire them immediately,” Fine posted.
“Tomorrow, I will be calling on the Senate President and the Speaker of the House to investigate whether certain positions in the Governor’s office are necessary given how frequently they are involved in personal and political activities for the Governor. This behavior is not only inappropriate and unprofessional, it could be illegal.
“The Governor had no issue vetoing the budget for legislative support staff; it is time for the shoe to be on the other foot.”
While Fenske previously served in DeSantis’ office, her role on the campaign side does not have a taxpayer-funded salary. Redfern and Pushaw, though, are paid $129,800 and $159,700 per year by the state, respectively.
Fine was formerly a top GOP ally of DeSantis’ in the Legislature. He sponsored the bill to strip Walt Disney of its self-governing status at the Reedy Creek Improvement district, a highly controversial bill that ruptured the entertainment company’s long-running friendly relations with Florida Republicans in charge of the Legislature.
Fine also endorsed DeSantis in his run for president last year, before abruptly switching his endorsement to Donald Trump, alleging DeSantis wasn’t doing enough to enforce a new law cracking down on antisemitism in the state.
DeSantis responded to Fine’s criticisms earlier on Wednesday by suggesting he wouldn’t shun the lobbyists who also went to Ireland for the FSU game.
“I think just about every lobbyist in Tallahassee made that trip, so is Representative Fine going to stop taking the money from all the lobbyists like he’s been doing?” DeSantis told reporters. “I’d like to see his answer to that.”
One thing Fine shares with DeSantis is a love of Ireland – the country, that is, if not its government’s decision on Palestine. DeSantis has spoken previously about his affinity for the island after visiting there, and Fine said he took a trip there with his family last year, before the Oct. 7 attacks and before the move to recognize Palestine.
“We went to Ireland, my family, last summer and had an amazing summer,” Fine told the USA TODAY Network Florida Capital Bureau in an interview Monday.
“I had no idea that there was so much deep-seated antisemitism in Ireland. So obviously it was very sad for me. Literally it was one of our best family trips ever. I think to myself, ‘Boy, what would have happened if I had been wearing my kippah?’ ”
Gray Rohrer is a reporter with the USA TODAY Network-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X: @GrayRohrer.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: ‘Fire them’: DeSantis spat with GOP lawmaker Fine catches fire online
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