This past week, a story surfaced about political contributions in Florida that broke some people’s brains.
It detailed how the state’s hemp industry wanted Gov. Ron DeSantis to veto a bill meant to tighten regulations on their industry and then started cutting fat checks after the governor did what they’d asked.
First, the Orlando Sentinel reported on a $100,000 check from an Apopka hemp grower to the governor’s political committee. Then, CBS News Miami and the South Florida Sun Sentinel got hold of screen shots from a group chat amongst hemp execs who said they owed the governor and Republican Party for the veto.
“We know nothing in life is free and neither was this veto,” one post said. “Our lobby team made promises to rally some serious funding to stand with him on this.”
Other execs said: “We have to pay $5 million to keep our end of the veto” and that GOP leaders wanted $2 million within 72 hours and another $3 million after that.
It sounded like ransom money in a Liam Neeson film.
When all this was exposed, the governor’s office and hemp execs said everyone just misunderstood — that this was just like-minded people swapping ideas and cash because they all appreciated each other’s points of view.
Still, I heard from a number of people who were confused about how any of this is legal in a state that allegedly caps contributions. So I’m here to answer questions.
Scott, doesn’t Florida law limit the amount of money people can give politicians?
You bet your assets.
Well, what’s the limit?
It’s $1,000 for local and legislative candidates and $3,000 for statewide ones.
But didn’t you just write that someone gave Ron DeSantis’ committee $100,000?
I sure did.
So how can both things be true?
Because most campaign finance laws are about as useless as screen doors on a submarine. The state caps contributions to candidates’ official campaign accounts, but if I set up a separate committee called something like “Friends of Scott Maxwell,” my “friends” can make unlimited donations.
You mean like $100,000?
Way more than that. The Friends of Ron DeSantis committee collected checks as big as $5 million apiece.
So what’s the point of the limits on the other committees?
To make rubes like you think we have rules.
That’s rude. So can you actually pay politicians to do you favors?
Theoretically no. That would be illegal.
But you just wrote that the hemp guys asked the governor to veto a bill they disliked and then cut his committee fat checks after he did what they wanted.
Correct.
I don’t understand.
You’re not allowed to tell a politician that you’ll give their committee $10,000 in exchange for passing a law you want. But you are allowed to hand them a copy of the law you want passed along with a $10,000 check, as long as both you and the politician claim there was no connection between the vote and the contribution.
You’ve got to be kidding.
If I was kidding, I’d tell you that I used to be addicted to the Hokey Pokey until I turned myself around.
I’m going to ignore that. So donors can really do what you just described with $10,000 checks?
They not only can, they do. As just one example, the Miami Herald got hold of documents a few years ago showing that a lobbyist for Florida Power and Light drafted a bill meant to make it more costly for Floridians to install and operate solar panels. The lobbyist delivered the legislation to a Florida senator and then followed it up with a $10,000 check to her political committee.
How is that legal?
Because everyone involved said the money and legislation weren’t related.
Did state investigators believe that?
Aw, that’s cute that you think there might’ve been an investigation.
There wasn’t?
No. Politicians don’t investigate what looks like pay-for-play activity. They encourage it. Even though I’d argue it’s basically legalized bribery.
Well, why don’t we just pass laws that place hard caps on donations to ALL political committees?
First of all, I think many politicians would rather stuff fire ants down their drawers than restrict their own donations. Also, though, this nation has basically decided that unlimited donations are legal.
Who decided that? And when?
The U.S. Supreme Court. In 2010. By a narrow 5-4 majority, the court’s conservative bloc ruled that corporate and union spending in politics is essentially a form of “free speech” that can’t be restricted.
So what can the average citizen do?
Well, you can also try to cut $5 million checks.
But I don’t have $5 million.
Well, then you’re probably not going to get as many laws passed, now are you?
This is all pretty depressing.
Try writing about it for 30 years. But hey, if you’re looking for something lighter, I can tell you that I used to be afraid of hurdles, but I got over it.
I think I’d rather play with those fire ants.
Scott Maxwell is an Orlando Sentinel columnist. Contact him at smaxwell@orlandosentinel.com.
