Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced a COVID-19 vaccine distribution partnership with Publix grocery stores weeks after the company donated $ 100,000 to its PAC, CBS reported “60 Minutes” on Sunday. citing campaign funding records. DeSantis and Publix deny any wrongdoing.
Why it’s important: DeSantis has been criticized for targeting vaccines to wealthy communities, and some of those who benefited from the vaccine’s pop-up windows also donated to the governor’s political action committee, according to Axios ’Tios Bay reporter, Ben Montgomery.
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Leading the news: The “60 Minutes” program highlighted reports of “vaccine favoritism,” as Florida’s poorest communities lagged behind in deployment, noting that there is no Publix in Belle Glade in Palm Beach County.
- State Democrat Representative Omari Hardy told the show “there are a lot of people who don’t have cars” in the community and that it’s a two-hour round trip with 34 stops at the Politix nearest 25 miles away.
- “Before I could call the director of public health. She would answer my calls. But now, if I want to get information from my components on how to get this vaccine, do I have to call a Publix lobby? That makes no sense.” , Hardy added. “They are not accountable to the public.”
Note: “60 Minutes” aired footage of CBS’s Sharyn Alfonsi confronting DeSantis at a press conference in South Orlando last month about the donation report, which DeSantis called “wrong.”
- Alfonsi narrated that Palm Beach County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay said DeSantis “never met with her about the Publix deal.”
- His exchange with DeSantis was reduced, and Alfonsi said, “The criticism here is that you get paid to play, Governor.”
- DeSantis called the claim a “false narrative,” adding that he met with local officials to discuss the options.
“We can do more driving places, we can give more to hospitals. We can do Publix. And they said, ‘We think that would be the easiest thing for our residents.’
– DeSantis
For the record: The donation is the latest in controversial political spending by Publix associates and beneficiaries.
- Heiress Julie Jenkins Fancelli donated about $ 300,000 to fund the rally that preceded the U.S. Capitol Revolt, the Montgomery and Selene San Felice report of Axios Tampa Bay reported.
- The popular grocery chain employs 225,000 people and made $ 38.1 billion in retail sales in 2019, for Montgomery and San Felice, reporters point out.
What they say: Publix said in a statement to CBS: “The irresponsible suggestion that there was a connection between the campaign’s contributions” to DeSantis and “our willingness to join other pharmacies” that support Florida’s vaccine deployment it is “absolutely false and offensive.”
- “We are proud of our pharmacy partners to administer more than 1.5 million doses of vaccine to date and to join other retailers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia to help our community to emerge from the pandemic, “the statement added.
- Representatives from DeSantis, Publix, and CBS did not immediately respond to Axios’ request for comment.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to clarify that the nearest Politix to Belle Glade is 40 km away.