The feud between Rep. Randy Fine and the Ron DeSantis political machine continues to heat up.
The Brevard County Republican is ready for the Legislature to explore if positions in the Governor’s Office are necessary after some after hours attacks from DeSantis staffers against him.
“If one of my taxpayer-funded staff ever engaged another elected official in the manner in which three members of the Governor’s staff has tonight – and often and routinely does – I would fire them immediately. Tomorrow, I will be calling on the Senate President and the Speaker of the House to investigate whether certain positions in the Governor’s office are necessary given how frequently they are involved in personal and political activities for the Governor,” Fine posted to X Wednesday.
Fine is taking issue with posts made by Taryn Fenske, Christina Pushaw, and Jeremy Redfern that make light of his attending Harvard University. The posts were made after hours from personal social media accounts.
Redfern, the press secretary, makes $126,000 a year. Pushaw, a senior management analyst, makes $156,000 a year. Fenske, a former state employee, is in the private sector now, but benefits from taxpayer funded contracts.
“This behavior is not only inappropriate and unprofessional, it could be illegal. The Governor had no issue vetoing the budget for legislative support staff; it is time for the shoe to be on the other foot,” Fine added.
The imbroglio with DeSantis’ staff follows a back and forth with the Governor himself about whether state officials should have attended Florida State’s season opener in Ireland, which Fine calls an “antisemitic country that supports Muslim Terror.”
“All I will say to that is I think just about every lobbyist in Tallahassee made that trip. So is Rep. Fine going to stop taking the money from all the lobbyists like he’s been doing? I’d like to see his answer to that.” Florida’s Governor said at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Operations Center.
DeSantis got applause for his pithy takedown of Fine during Q&A, but the Brevard County legislator wasn’t having it.
“I think we’ve grown used to these childish responses to legitimate criticism by Gov. DeSantis, and his petulance isn’t worthy of a response,” said Fine, the only Jewish Republican in the Legislature, after the Governor made his comments.
Regarding the Wednesday night social media attacks, Fine definitely had a response, however.
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