A new bill put forward in the Florida State Senate would provide up to $5 million to politicians like Donald Trump to pay for legal bills while running for president.
On Monday, a new piece of legislation, championed by Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, was introduced by Florida state Senator Ileana Garcia which would create the "Florida Freedom Fighters Fund." The fund would provide up to $5 million to cover legal costs for Florida residents who are running for president, like Trump, and face "legal, partisan, political attacks by the Department of Justice or State Attorneys," according to a release from Patronis's office.
Trump is favored to secure the 2024 GOP presidential nomination after securing 51 percent of the vote in the Iowa caucus last week. The former president, though, is also facing a historic four criminal indictments at the federal and state level, totaling 91 charges. Two of the cases, one federal and one out of Fulton County, Georgia, focus on his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The other federal case is based out of Florida and pertains to his alleged mishandling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges leveled against him and accused the investigations of being politically motivated efforts to harm his 2024 reelection chances, a sentiment that has been widely echoed by his allies and supporters.
The charges could end up having a major impact on his electoral prospects, as some polls have found that a significant number of voters would abandon Trump for President Joe Biden if the former president was convicted for even just one of them.
Despite Trump's claims about election interference, a Navigator Research report found that roughly two-thirds of Americans believe that he has committed a crime and that the charges against him are legitimate, though few are certain that he will actually be convicted.
While the text of the bill could apply to any Florida resident seeking the presidency, official statements from those involved in the proposal indicate that it is being created to help Trump specifically, with Garcia's statement echoing Trump's claims that the investigations are political.
"We're in the midst of an historic moment where we're watching an election that's trying to be stolen by Left wing prosecutors, the Biden Administration, and even Blue States," Garcia said. "They're not trying to win at the ballot box; they're trying to keep President Trump off the ballot by weaponizing the courts. Having a Floridian in the White House is good for our state – and anything we can do to support Florida Presidential candidates, like President Trump, will not only benefit our state, but our nation."
According to Patronis's office, the initiative would be funded by the Florida Department of Revenue, deriving money from the state's Public Campaign Finance Matching Funds Program as well as voluntary contributions from driver's license registrations.
At present, it is unclear how likely the bill is to pass in the Florida legislature, though both chambers are heavily tipped toward Republicans. GOP lawmakers control the state Senate 28-12 and the state House 84-36.
Speaking to Newsweek about the proposal, David Aronberg, a Florida state attorney and legal expert, dismissed the idea of the fund as another example of "sycophancy" among politicians in the Sunshine State and predicted that it would not pass.
"There is no bottom to the sycophancy among some in Florida politics when it comes to the former president," Aronberg said. "They continue to debase themselves by proposing tax dollars to pay for a billionaire's legal defense. Fortunately, this ridiculous proposal will not pass."
Update 1/24/24, 1:38 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from David Aronberg.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Thomas Kika is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in upstate New York. His focus is reporting on crime and national ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
