Tag: florida

GOP Congressman Running For Florida Governor Admits To Selling Marijuana Despite Opposing Legalization And Sentencing Reform

A GOP congressman running for governor in Florida who has opposed marijuana legalization in the state and sponsored federal legislation to upend a Washington, D.C. sentencing reform law has admitted for the first time that he was arrested for selling cannabis as a young adult.

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), a Trump-endorsed GOP candidate vying to replace Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), was pressed on the apparent disconnect during an interview with CBS Miami that aired on Saturday.

While it was previously known that Donalds faced an arrest over marijuana in 1997—only to have the charges dropped years later as part of a pre-trial diversion program—this marked the first time he’s publicly admitted to selling small amounts of cannabis and acknowledged that he benefitted from the type of criminal justice reform law he’s worked to undermine in the District of Columbia.

“Honestly, I was walking down the street, I was leaving a party, officers came up, asked me if I would empty my pockets. I said, ‘Yes, of course.’ I had a dime bag of marijuana in my pocket. That’s the story,” the congressman said. “It was bad decisions. I can’t undo that decision.”

Donalds said he sold “low-level amounts” of marijuana, reiterating that he made “terrible decisions” and that it was among the things he did in his early adulthood that he wishes he could “undo.”

“I wish I could undo [it]. I wish I could, but I can’t do that,” he said. “I would tell people, if you examine my life since 20 years old, my life has really been a story of redemption.”

But that redemption arc was made possible, in part, thanks to sentencing policy that afforded Donalds a level of relief that he’s sought to deprive D.C. residents of—a point that Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) raised during a House floor debate last year where she slammed her GOP colleague over the apparent double standard.

“Imagine standing in front of a judge with your life hanging in balance, and instead of prison you’re given a promise of mercy. Your record is wiped clean, and you’ve got a second chance at life,” Crockett said. “Imagine turning that into a promotion and you go to college and get a job and even become a member of Congress. That’s what redemption looks like.”

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Florida Has Deemed All Existing Intro to Sociology Textbooks Illegal and Produced Its Own

Imagine the following scenario: You’re teaching Introduction to Sociology at a community college in Florida, and today, you’re trying to explain the well-documented pay gap between men and women in the United States. You check the guidance you just received from your dean, who received instructions via email from the executive vice chancellor of the Florida College System. The instructions state explicitly that explaining “unequal outcomes between men and women” in terms of “institutional sexism” would violate state law.

So how are you supposed to explain this disparity? The email includes guidance on just this question:

biological sex chromosomes determine … how females and males behave … So, in teaching this, one might point out that women and men with the same credentials enter different jobs such that certain jobs are occupied primarily by women (i.e., female-dominant) some are occupied primarily by men (i.e., male-dominant).

Did you misread the guidance? Your eyes scroll up on the page, which is a state-created curriculum for use in all non-elective Intro to Sociology classes taught in Florida’s community colleges. You are explicitly prohibited from discussing “systemic racism, institutional racism, [or] historical discrimination.” You cannot “state an intent of institutions today to oppress persons of color.” You cannot “describe when, how, or why individuals determine their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.”

Surely this is a mistake?

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Miami GOP Secretary’s Group Chat Pushes Antisemitism, ‘Killing N-ggers’

The recent uptick in antisemitic and racist language being disseminated by younger GOP activists nationwide has largely been fueled by a younger generation that follows extremist online influencers like Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes, and Republican gubernatorial candidate James Fishback.

It appears this has now spread to the Miami-Dade Republican Party.

In a disturbing series of group chat entries obtained by The Floridian, Miami GOP Secretary Abel Alexander Carvajal ran a group chat in which the N-word was used over 200 times and members celebrated the removal of an African-American activist from the FIU College Republicans.

Carvajal’s chat, titled “Uber Retards Yapping Inc.,” gives a shocking glimpse into the GOP’s younger element of college students who espouse hateful ideas. Even more concerning are the chat’s members: Carvajal, who is Secretary of the Miami-Dade GOP; Dariel Gonzalez, who is the FIU College Republicans Membership Director; and Ian Valdes, the FIU Turning Point chapter president.

For months, Carvajal created and served as the administrator of the chat. Many times he participated in the conversations. At no point did Carvajal close the chat or attempt to calm the narrative. He labeled his own control of the chat as “MaoTze Abel,” a joking reference to dictator Mao Zedong.

The chat goes beyond racist language. Sources have confirmed that Carvajal has recruited members of this racist and antisemitic element into the Miami-Dade GOP to serve as committeemen and committeewomen.

“Total Negro Death!” shouts Dariel Gonzalez, who has recently applied to become a GOP committeeman.

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Florida Legislators Advance a Bill Authorizing Government Surveillance Based on ‘Views’ or ‘Opinions’

A bill that is advancing in the Florida Legislature would authorize government surveillance of people whose “views” or “opinions” are deemed “a threat” to state or national “interests.” What could possibly go wrong?

“This outrageous claim of authority would be a profound betrayal of Americans’ First Amendment rights,” Carolyn Iodice, legislative and policy director at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, warns in a press release. “Imagine being arrested or having your home raided because the government has decided that your opinions are a ‘threat’ or simply don’t align with its interests. This puts everyone’s free speech rights at risk. Even if your views aren’t in the state’s crosshairs today, they could be tomorrow. Free societies do not investigate or arrest their own citizens for their opinions.”

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida also has “grave concerns” about the bill. It “could easily be used to silence dissenting voices under the guise of security,” ACLU of Florida strategist Abdelilah Skhir told Florida Politics last month. “The vague and overbroad language could easily be weaponized against everyday Floridians engaged in First Amendment protected activity.”

State Rep. Danny Alvarez (R–Riverview), who filed the bill on December 30, does not understand what all the fuss is about. He says he is simply trying to combat threats such as “drug cartels,” “terrorist organizations,” and foreign “intelligence entities.” Last week, the Florida Phoenix reported that “Alvarez said it’s only been in the past week that he’s become aware of First Amendment concerns.”

Alvarez’s bill, H.B. 945, would create a Statewide Counterintelligence and Counterterrorism Unit within the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, consisting of “at least seven” 10-member teams. The unit would be charged with “identify[ing] threats by analyzing patterns of life, gathering actionable intelligence, and formulating effective plans of action, and by executing arrests or by revealing its intent to compel a response using all counterintelligence and counterterrorism tradecraft necessary to protect the state from adversary intelligence entities.”

What is an “adversary intelligence entity”? The bill’s definition goes far beyond spies employed by foreign governments. It says the term “includes, but is not limited to, any national, foreign, multinational, friendly, competitor, opponent, adversary, or recognized enemy government or nongovernmental organization, company, business, corporation, consortium, group, agency, cell, terrorist, insurgent, guerrilla entity, or person whose demonstrated actions, views, or opinions are a threat or are inimical to the interests of this state and the United States of America.”

On its face, the bill would empower the Statewide Counterintelligence and Counterterrorism Unit to investigate organizations and individuals based on the “views” or “opinions” they express. Alvarez insists that is not his intent. But by his own account, he did not recognize the obvious First Amendment implications of that broad mandate until a month and a half after he introduced the bill.

When some of his colleagues alerted him to those civil liberties concerns, Alvarez promised to address them. “We are very, very aware of the questions regarding [the] First Amendment,” he told Florida Politics last week. “We’re going to address that in an amendment that comes to the next committee.” He told reporters he was willing to excise the language referring to any “person whose demonstrated actions, views, or opinions are a threat or are inimical to the interests of this state and the United States of America.”

So far, however, the original version of the bill is the only one listed on the Florida Legislature’s website. And despite his avowed willingness to amend the bill, Alvarez does not seem to think it is actually necessary to do so.

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South Florida residents react to Trump administration’s decision to sell Venezuelan oil to Cuban private businesses

People across South Florida are reacting to a major shift in U.S. policy toward Cuba, following the federal government’s announcement that it will allow fuel imports for the island’s private sector.

The Trump administration has given the green light for Venezuelan oil to be sold to Cuba’s private businesses, not the Cuban government. Supporters say the policy could help ease severe shortages that have crippled daily life on the island, while critics fear the Cuban government could still benefit indirectly.

Some residents say, in theory, the plan could offer relief to Cuba’s struggling economy. Others question whether the Cuban government can truly be kept out of the process.

“This really tells me that the Trump administration, particularly the president, is more interested in business than he is in regime change,” said Andy S. Gomez, a retired dean of international studies at the University of Miami.

Others believe the move could help everyday Cubans who have been hit hardest by the country’s worsening crisis.

“If he doesn’t do it, I don’t know that anyone else will,” said Armando Parada.

Still, many remain unconvinced.

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‘Charlie Kirk Wasn’t Assassinated, He Died From White on White Gun Violence’: Florida State Dem Rep

Ashley Viola Gantt criticized efforts to commemorate Charlie Kirk, arguing that he should not be honored in Florida and that discussions surrounding his death should be framed with more precise language.

Speaking about proposals to mark a day of remembrance, Gantt said the First Amendment already protects free speech and questioned the need for additional recognition.

“We want to talk about exercising free speech. Let’s ball so the First Amendment protects free speech. We don’t need this day of remembrance for a man that was mediocre and racist, and I say mediocre at best, he was not a Floridian,” Gantt said.

“He had no ties to Florida other than owning property.”

Gantt added that Florida is home to individuals and organizations who promote what she described as non-divisive free speech.

“We have a number of Floridians, both individuals and organizations that promote free speech that is not divisive, like this individual was,” she said.

Addressing how Kirk’s death has been characterized in public discourse, Gantt emphasized the importance of word choice.

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OUTRAGEOUS: Florida House Democrats Oppose Bill Honoring TPUSA Founder Charlie Kirk — Insist He Was “Not Assassinated,” but Died from “Gun Violence”

The radical Left’s hatred for conservative heroes apparently follows them even to the grave.

In a disgusting display of partisan spite, Florida House Democrats spent Wednesday afternoon attempting to block a bill that would honor the late Turning Point USA founder and conservative icon Charlie Kirk.

Despite Kirk being gunned down in cold blood while exercising his First Amendment rights at a rally in Utah last September, Florida Democrats took to the floor to argue that the man who inspired millions of young patriots was “mediocre” and, wait for it, was not actually “assassinated.”

Instead, these radical lawmakers insisted that the targeted political killing of a prominent conservative leader should merely be classified as “gun violence.”

The bill, HB 125, which designates October 14 as “Charlie Kirk Day of Remembrance,” was sponsored by Rep. Yvette Benarroch (R-Marco Island).

Benarroch described the bill as a tribute to a man who “encouraged a generation to read the Constitution and love this great country.”

The measure cleared the chamber by a vote of 82–31, with nearly all opposition coming from Democrats.

But during committee deliberations, Florida House Democrats took issue with language describing Kirk’s death as an assassination, instead insisting it should be categorized more broadly as an act of “gun violence.”

Democrat State Rep. Ashley Viola Gantt openly objected to the bill’s wording.

Rep. Ashley Viola Gantt:
“We want to talk about the exercise of free speech. Let’s ball.

The First Amendment protects free speech. We don’t need this day of remembrance for a man who was mediocre and racist—I say mediocre at best. He was not a Floridian. He had no ties to Florida other than owning property. We have a number of Floridians—both individuals and organizations—that promote free speech that is not divisive like this individual was.

If we want to talk about free speech, let’s talk about being precise with our words. When we hear “assassination,” that’s typically related to a person in a political position. Charlie Kirk died from gun violence. We continuously advocate for gun policy—legislation that would ensure that people who probably shouldn’t have a gun don’t have a gun.

Was his passing tragic for those who loved him? Absolutely. There is no denying that. But he was not assassinated, and words being accurate matters. It was a death by gun violence. That is an issue here in the country that we should all be on the same page about addressing.

And if we want to talk about free speech, a lot of people say, “That was some white-on-white crime.” Why aren’t we addressing it in that regard? What are we doing about white-on-white crime? So, Charlie Kirk was not someone whom children in the state of Florida should be subjected to honoring.”

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Three Mexican Citizens charged with trafficking agricultural workers into servitude on farms in Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida

Three Mexican citizens have been indicted on federal charges for allegedly running a human trafficking ring that lured agricultural workers from Mexico into forced labor on farms across Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida.

A 35-count indictment, unsealed Friday, alleges that Martha Zeferino Jose, 42; her son, Jeremy Zeferino Jose, 23; and her partner, Jose Rodriguez Munoz, used a farm labor contracting company to exploit the H-2A visa program for financial gain, according to the Department of Justice, or DOJ.

Federal prosecutors say the group recruited workers with promises of legitimate employment through their company, Las Princesas Corporation. Instead, the defendants allegedly charged the workers illegal recruitment fees, saddling them with debt before they even arrived in the U.S.

“These individuals have been indicted for luring vulnerable workers with promises of legitimate employment, only to then confiscate their identity documents and force them to labor in inhumane conditions,” Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said.

According to court documents, once the workers arrived, the defendants seized their passports and visas to prevent them from leaving. The workers were then allegedly forced to labor for long hours without adequate breaks or access to water while being housed in “crowded, unsanitary” residences that lacked heat, air conditioning, and hot water.

The indictment further alleges the following:

  • Climate of Fear: The defendants allegedly prohibited workers from leaving their residences alone or speaking to outsiders, threatening them with deportation if they complained.
  • Visa Fraud: Martha Zeferino Jose allegedly submitted fraudulent applications to the government, falsely certifying that she would comply with labor laws she intended to ignore.
  • Obstruction of Justice: When the Department of Labor began an investigation, the defendants allegedly returned confiscated documents just before investigators arrived and ordered workers to lie to federal agents.

U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle for the Eastern District of North Carolina vowed to “find and eradicate any illegal immigration” and abuse of the system within the district.

The defendants face multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit forced labor and alien harboring for financial gain. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of forced labor.

Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.

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Florida Attorney General Announces ARREST of Convicted Felon Commutted by Biden Autopen — Now Faces STATE CHARGES

In a stunning blowback to Joe Biden’s controversial clemency spree, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Monday that career criminal Oscar Freemond Fowler III has been taken back into custody to face new state charges, months after his 12-plus-year federal sentence was commuted by the Biden administration using the autopen.

Fowler had been serving a 12-year-and-6-month federal sentence after pleading guilty in 2024 to:

  • Felon in possession of a firearm
  • Possession with intent to distribute cocaine

Federal prosecutors had reportedly pushed for at least 150 months behind bars, citing his extensive criminal history and warning that he posed an ongoing public safety risk.

DOJ wrote at the time:

According to court records, in October 2023, officers from the St. Petersburg Police Department and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives executed a search warrant at Fowler’s residence. During their search, they located cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana. On the floor next to Fowler’s bed, agents located a loaded 9mm pistol that contained an extended magazine and 29 rounds of ammunition. At the time, Fowler had multiple prior felony convictions including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, kidnapping, aggravated assault, and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

“This is another example of how the ongoing collaboration with our state and federal partners assisted us in removing a dangerous felon and reducing gun violence in our community,” said Anthony Holloway, St. Petersburg Chief of Police.

“This is a major victory for the St. Pete community,” said ATF Tampa Field Division’s Special Agent in Charge Kirk Howard. “We’re proud to have contributed to putting this notorious and violent triggerpuller in federal prison for a long time.”

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David P. Sullivan.

Despite those warnings, Fowler was included in a January 17, 2025 executive grant of clemency that commuted the sentences of more than 2,500 federal inmates.

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Mar-a-Lago shotgun-wielding madman ID’d as Austin Tucker Martin, a North Carolina golf course artist

The crazed gunman who was shot dead after trying to enter Mar-a-Lago with a shotgun and a gas can has been identified as a North Carolina artist who was reported missing by his mom.

Austin Tucker Martin, 21, of Cameron, North Carolina, was killed by law enforcement in the early hours of Sunday morning, law enforcement sources told The Post.

He was reported missing by his family to authorities on Saturday.

Officials are still investigating whether he bought the gun en route to Florida.

Trump was not at Mar-a-Lago at the time; he was at the White House. On Saturday night, he and first lady Melania hosted the Governors’ Dinner, which Democratic governors appear to have boycotted.

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