Gov. Rick Scott’s
Critics: Message belies governor’s history of helping donors
campaign ads are being decried for hiding his history of helping his donors, say critics.
TALLAHASSEE – Gov. Rick Scott has spent more than $10 million in his campaign for U.S. Senate so far on a slew of ads, attacking his opponent as a career politician and pledging to “make Washington work.”
Floridians won’t know who is bankrolling the ad blitz until his first campaign report, due today, is published. But Democrats and ethics watchdogs contend Scott’s message belies his administration’s history of taking actions that benefit campaign donors, saying he wants to swap the “swamp” in Tallahassee for the one in Washington.
Democrats have hounded Scott throughout his time in office for taking action to benefit his political benefactors.
“We’re seeing clear evidence that Rick Scott cannot be trusted to advocate for Floridians’ best interest because he is more concerned with his own,” said Sen. Gary Farmer, D-Lighthouse Point, in a statement provided through the state party. “Scott has proven that his policy making as governor was merely up for sale to the highest bidder — we should all be shocked by this, but sadly, I’m not surprised.”
The campaign for Scott, who is running to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, denies any quid pro quo in any instance.
“Any assertion that the Governor makes decisions based on political donations is absolutely false – the Governor only makes decisions in the best interests of Floridians,” Scott campaign spokeswoman Lauren Schenone wrote in an email. “Anyone who contributes to Governor Scott’s campaign does so in support of his candidacy, which includes priorities such as protecting Florida’s natural treasures … and reforming Washington so that it works for American families – not career politicians.”
When Scott won the 2010 GOP primary for governor, using $75 million of his own wealth to upset establishment favorite Bill McCollum, he declared Tallahassee lobbyists were “crying in their cocktails.” Once Scott took office, he
started taking money from big-spending political donors.
The move helped fill his campaign coffers on the way to a narrow re-election victory over ex-Gov. Charlie Crist in 2014, but it also brought scorn from critics.
“Governor Scott’s really been a disappointment because he came to office in a really unique position because he self-funded his original campaign,” said Ben Wilcox, research director for Integrity Florida, a Tallahassee-based government watchdog group. “He really didn’t owe anybody anything, but he pretty much immediately began taking large contributions from special interests into his [political] committee.”
Scott took in millions from the corporate interests with business in the Capitol such as Walt Disney Co., large sugar corporations and major utilities that typically donate to those in power. But he also took money from lesser-known companies who ended up benefiting from a change in the administration’s policies. Examples include: Scott’s Agency for Health Care Administration was against carving out dental services from Medicaid in 2013, a move that would benefit Managed Care of North America, a Fort Lauderdalebased company. MCNA gave $75,000 to Scott’s political committee and gave $355,000 to the Republican Party of Florida in 2014. In 2016, Scott signed a bill carving out the dental services. In May, MCNA CEO Jeff Feingold and his wife each gave $19,600 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, a group helping Scott’s Senate bid.
Last year the St. Johns River Water Management District agreed to give an irrigation permit to the Sleepy Creek Lands ranch in Marion County, owned by Frank Stronach, an auto parts magnate billionaire, allowing it to pump 1.1 million gallons a day out of an aquifer near Silver Springs to develop a slaughterhouse. The decision reversed the district’s opinion in 2014 that the permit would harm the ecology of Silver Springs and the Silver River. Three companies affiliated with Stronach — Adena Springs South, Gulfstream Park and Orchid Concessions — have given $75,000 to Scott’s political committee, and gave $170,000 to the Republican Party of Florida in 2014.
In 2014, Scott’s Department of Environmental Protection was poised to reject a plan by Flagstone Island Gardens to build a resort and marina on Watson Island in Miami. But after the company hired Bill Rubin, who knew Scott from his days lobbying for Scott’s former company, hospital giant Columbia/HCA, the state agency reversed its opinion. The Cabinet approved a waiver for the project on May 19. Five days later, Flagstone donated $3,000 to Scott’s political committee and another $50,000 the following month.