Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced a COVID-19 vaccine distribution partnership with Publix supermarkets weeks after the company donated $ 100,000 to its PAC, CBS ’60 Minutes reported Sunday, adding referring to the campaign’s financial data. DeSantis and Publix deny any wrongdoing.
Why it matters: DeSantis has been criticized for sending vaccines to wealthy communities, with some who benefited from the vaccine pop-ups also donating to the governor’s political action committee, Axios’ Tampa Bay reporter Ben Montgomery said.
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Driving the news: The “60 Minutes” program put forward reports of “vaccine favoritism,” with Florida’s poorer communities lagging behind in the rollout, noting that there is no Publix in Belle Glade in Palm Beach County.
- State Representative Omari Hardy told the show “there are many people who do not own a car” in the community and that it is a round trip of over two hours with 34 stops to the nearest Politix, 25 miles away.
- “I used to be able to call the director of public health. She answered my calls. But now if I want to get my constituents information on how to get this vaccine, should I call a Publix lobbyist? . “They are not accountable to the public.”
Of interest: “60 Minutes” aired footage of CBS ‘Sharyn Alfonsi confronting DeSantis at a press conference south of Orlando last month over the donation report, which DeSantis called “wrong.”
- Alfonsi said Palm Beach County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay said DeSantis “never met her about the Publix deal.”
- It diminished her conversation with DeSantis, with Alfonsi saying, “The criticism here is that the game is paid, Governor.”
- DeSantis called the allegation “a bogus story,” 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 the Publix. And they said,” We think that would be the easiest for our residents. “
– DeSantis
For the record: The donation is the latest controversial political release by Publix employees and beneficiaries.
- Heiress Julie Jenkins Fancelli donated about $ 300,000 to fund the rally that preceded the riot at the Capitol, Montgomery and Selene San Felice of Axios Tampa Bay report.
- The popular supermarket chain employs 225,000 people and had $ 38.1 billion in retail sales in 2019, Montgomery and San Felice said, reporters said.
What they say: Publix said in a statement to CBS, “The irresponsible suggestion that there was a link between campaign contributions” to DeSantis and “our willingness to join other pharmacies” that support the Florida vaccine rollout is “absolutely false. and offensive “.
- “We are proud of our pharmacy associates for administering more than 1.5 million doses of vaccine to date and for joining other retailers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia to do our part in helping our communities get out of the pandemic, ”the statement added.
- Representatives from DeSantis, Publix and CBS did not immediately respond to Axios’s request for comment.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to clarify that the closest Politix to Belle Glade is 40 km away.