Author

Michael Moline

Michael Moline

Michael Moline has covered politics and the legal system for more than 30 years. He is a former managing editor of the San Francisco Daily Journal and former assistant managing editor of The National Law Journal.

Exonerated from Death Row, men will ask Gov. DeSantis to cancel scheduled execution

By: - October 21, 2019

Three men sentenced to death but later exonerated will appeal to Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday to reconsider the death warrant he has signed for James Dailey, who would become the fourth person executed in Florida since the governor took office in January. The letter compares the circumstances of Dailey’s conviction to their own, which […]

Ron DeSantis

Democratic Party seeks any Gov. DeSantis communications with Ukraine scandal figures

By: - October 17, 2019

The Florida Democratic Party has delivered a public records request to Gov. Ron DeSantis, seeking any communications between him or his office with Rudy Giuliani and other people involved in alleged campaign finance violations. A letter, sent Wednesday over party chairwoman Terri Rizzo’s signature, seeks documents “evidencing any communications to, from, or between you or […]

Politically connected conservatives tapped for key state appellate court

By: - October 17, 2019

Federalist Society members will fill two vacancies on 1st District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee – arguably the second-most important state court because it hears appeals involving Florida government, including constitutional challenges to state laws and administrative actions. Gov. Ron DeSantis tapped Rachel Nordby, a partner at Shutts & Bowen in Tallahassee, and Adam Tanenbaum, […]

Gov. DeSantis hits New York for meetings with bankers, airline

By: - October 17, 2019

Gov. Ron DeSantis was headed back to New York City Thursday for meetings with bankers and airline executives. The governor had a meeting scheduled with BNY Mellon at 2 p.m. in New York’s financial district, and another at 3:14 p.m. across the East River at Jet Blue’s corporate headquarters in Long Island City. DeSantis has […]

Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman apparently fit right in among Florida Republican elite

By: - October 16, 2019

Questions about campaign assistance from two figures in the Ukraine scandal followed Gov. Ron DeSantis to Jupiter Wednesday, where the governor traveled to announce his plan to boost regulation over water quality. The first question during the news conference concerned DeSantis’ campaign’s acceptance of $50,000 in donations Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman through their company, […]

algae bloom

Gov. DeSantis wants to boost state regulations to improve water quality

By: - October 16, 2019

Gov. Ron DeSantis is pushing for tighter regulation of water resources and agriculture runoff to improve water quality across Florida. He plans to ask lawmakers for help, by pursuing legislation during the 2020 legislative session. “I think it will, if enacted, make substantial improvement to water quality throughout the state – and I think these […]

Gov. Ron DeSantis

FL Dems: DeSantis has ‘questions to answer’ about relationship with Ukranian contributors

By: - October 15, 2019

Florida Democrats are attempting to make hay out an appearance at Gov. Ron DeSantis’ election-night party by one of the Ukrainian businessmen – and possibly his co-defendant – arrested on federal charges of steering overseas money into U.S. politics. “Ron DeSantis has a lot of questions to answer about his relationships with Lev Parnas and […]

Twitter video shows Ukraine scandal figure celebrating with Gov. DeSantis on election night

By: - October 14, 2019

Video emerged on Twitter Monday showing Lev Parnas, one of two Soviet-born businessmen arrested on campaign finance violation charges apparently connected to President Trump’s Ukranian scandal, standing close to Gov. Ron DeSantis on election night last November. Joey Roulette, a Reuters reporter who formerly reported on the space industry from Florida, posted the video on […]

Aide: Gov. DeSantis skipped pro-Trump event and didn’t view violent video

By: - October 14, 2019

Gov. Ron DeSantis did not view a meme video shown during a pro-President Trump event in South Florida that depicted the president attacking news organizations and political opponents with guns, knives, and other weapons, the governor’s press aides said Monday. “The governor has not seen the video and does not condone violence of any kind,” […]

Gov. DeSantis orders flags lowered for late chief of Capitol Police force

By: - October 11, 2019

State and U.S. flags flew at half staff Friday in memory of Chris Connell, director of the Capitol Police in Tallahassee, who died one week earlier at 59. Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was due to attend Connell’s memorial service Friday afternoon. ordered the observance at the state Capitol, Tallahassee City Hall, and the Leon County […]

Contributions to Gov. DeSantis’ PAC slowed during September

By: - October 8, 2019

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ political action committee raised a mere $80,500 during September, according to Florida Division of Elections records, significantly below the six-figure sums the committee been amassing since the beginning of the year. The committee received two $25,000 gifts – one from Richard Cox of Cox Building Corp. in Panama City, which owns Cox […]

algae bloom

Watered-down plan advances to filter algae from Lake Okeechobee overflow

By: - October 3, 2019

Plans to build a reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee – which environmentalists say won’t be large enough to filter toxic algae that can flow into waterways leading to Florida’s coasts – took a step forward on Thursday. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that Florida Crystals Corp. has agreed to an early termination of its lease on […]