Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) announced a COVID-19 vaccine distribution partnership with Publix grocery stores weeks after the company gave $ 100,000 to its PAC, CBS’s “60 Minutes” reported on Sunday, citing the campaign financial records. DeSantis and Publix deny any wrongdoing.
Why does it matter: DeSantis has been criticized for targeting vaccines to wealthy communities, with some who have benefited from the vaccine pop-ups also donating to the governor’s political action committee, according to Axios reporter Ben Montgomery of Axios.
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Driving the news: The “60 Minutes” program highlighted reports of “vaccine favoritism”, with Florida’s poorest communities being left behind in the deployment – notably Palm Beach County, where there is no Publix in the community.
- Democratic state deputy Omari Hardy told the program “you have a lot of people who don’t have cars” in the community and that it’s a two-hour round trip with 34 stops to the nearest Politix, 25 miles away.
- “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,” added Hardy. . “They are not accountable to the public.”
- “60 Minutes” showed images of CBS ‘Sharyn Alfonsi confronting DeSantis at a press conference south of Orlando last month about the donation report, which DeSantis called “wrong”.
Zoom In: Alfonsi narrated that Palm Beach County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay said that DeSantis “never met her about the Publix deal”.
- He reduced the conversation with DeSantis, with Alfonsi saying, “The criticism here is that it pays to play, Governor.”
- DeSantis called the statement “a false narrative”, adding that he met with local officials to discuss options.
“We can do more drive-thru sites, we can give more to hospitals. We can do Publix. And they said, ‘We think it would be the easiest thing for our residents.”
– DeSantis
For registration: The donation is the latest in controversial political spending by Publix members and beneficiaries.
- Heiress Julie Jenkins Fancelli donated about $ 300,000 to finance the rally that preceded the riot at the United States Capitol, reports Montgomery and Selene San Felice of Axios Tampa Bay.
- The popular supermarket chain employs 225,000 people and earned $ 38.1 billion in retail sales in 2019, according to Montgomery and San Felice, reporters noted.
What they are saying: Publix said in a statement to CBS: “The irresponsible suggestion that there was a connection between the campaign contributions” made to DeSantis and “our willingness to partner with other pharmacies” to support the vaccine launch in Florida is “absolutely false and offensive”.
- “We are proud of our pharmacy associates to administer over 1.5 million doses of vaccine to date and to join other retailers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia to do our part to help our communities to get out of the pandemic, “added the statement.
- Representatives from DeSantis, Publix and CBS did not immediately respond to Axios’ request for comment.