Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
Ron DeSantis Parts of Florida County evacuated amid fears of collapse of the wastewater reservoir More states led by the Republican Party risk corporate reactions like the Georgia Health Center: CDC says fully vaccinated people can travel safely | Biden laments those who act as if there is a COVID-19 fight | Will vaccine passports be the biggest campaign theme of 2022? MORE (R) shot down drastically by “60 Minutes” on the grounds that he channeled the state’s coronavirus vaccines to wealthy communities and privatized the distribution of the vaccine to benefit donors, while many minorities in the state struggle to gain access to an inoculation.
CBS reporter Sharyn Alfonsi presented a comprehensive report for “60 Minutes” on Sunday night, criticizing the vaccine’s launch in Florida. Among other accusations, Alfonsi said that DeSantis gave a contract to distribute coronavirus vaccines to the Publix supermarket chain after Publix made a $ 100,000 donation to its political action committee.
DeSantis declined an interview request, Alfonsi said, but she met him at an event south of Orlando.
“Publix, as you know, donated $ 100,000 to your campaign and then you rewarded them with exclusive rights to distribute the vaccine in Palm Beach,” Alfonsi told the governor.
“So, first of all, what you’re saying is wrong,” replied DeSantis. “This is a false narrative. I met with the county mayor. I met with the administrator. I met with all the people in Palm Beach County and said, ‘Here are some of the options. We can make more drive sites. -thru. We can give more to hospitals. We can do Publix. And they said, ‘We think it would be the easiest thing for our residents.’ “
Alfonsi pressured DeSantis, saying that his critics say that the unfair distribution of the vaccine and the award of the contract to the supermarket to distribute the vaccine are equivalent to a “pay to play” scheme.
“It is wrong, it is a false narrative,” said DeSantis. “I just let you down from the narrative and you don’t care about the facts because obviously I just expounded it to you in a way that is irrefutable. So it clearly isn’t.”
Alfonsi tried to intervene again, but DeSantis shouted at her, “No, no, you are wrong, you are wrong, you are wrong.”
“What you are saying is wrong,” Governor DeSantis told Sharyn Alfonsi in response to a question about whether Publix supermarket chain gained influence through a campaign donation on its behalf. “It is wrong. It is a false narrative,” he says. https://t.co/gyrW9hYPTg pic.twitter.com/5rBq7v5VOA
– 60 minutes (@ 60 minutes) April 4, 2021
Publix told “60 Minutes” that there is no link between the supermarket chain’s campaign contributions and its partnership with the state to administer the vaccine.
State Representative Omari Hardy (D) told “60 Minutes” that DeSantis’ decision to privatize the vaccine launch did not work for people of color in the state.
She pointed to a low-income community without Publix, which means that its residents, including elderly residents, would need to travel nearly 30 miles to get a vaccine.
“Before, I could call the director of public health. She took my calls. But now, if I want to get information from my constituents on how to get this vaccine, do I have to call a Publix lobbyist? That doesn’t make sense,” said Hardy. . “They are not accountable to the public.”
The charges on Publix come as DeSantis is already under fire for the vaccine’s launch in Florida. He was accused of channeling vaccine doses to wealthy white communities and directing vaccination sites to communities associated with political donors.