Here's the timeline DeSantis now gives us:
12/7: Publix gives DeSantis PAC $50,000.
12/15(~): Florida gets vaccines.
12/15-12/30(~): DeSantis not ready to give Publix vax deal.
12/31: Publix gives DeSantis PAC another $50,000.
1/1-1/4: DeSantis decides to give Publix vax deal.
12/7: Publix gives DeSantis PAC $50,000.
12/15(~): Florida gets vaccines.
12/15-12/30(~): DeSantis not ready to give Publix vax deal.
12/31: Publix gives DeSantis PAC another $50,000.
1/1-1/4: DeSantis decides to give Publix vax deal.
DeSantis admits CVS *and* Walgreens were *already* handling vaccines in mid-December, but *he* asked them to focus on long-term care facilities only—taking them out of the running against Publix for handling general vaccine distribution. I don't see how this looks better for him.
DeSantis was in regular contact with Trump during this period. Trump had *one concern*: funding his January 6 events. During the same 72-hour period Publix paid DeSantis $50,000, it appears the Publix heiress paid Trump's Stop the Steal agents $300,000 so he could hold his event.
I'm sorry, but the appear of a pay-to-play is absolutely staggering here. Publix *chose* to make those payments at that time. And the Publix heiress—Julie Jenkins Fancelli—*chose* to aid DeSantis's patron, Trump, as Publix was paying DeSantis. Sorry, I don't see coincidence here.
Moskowitz may be right that DeSantis had engineered things so only Publix was an option. It wouldn't explain DeSantis saying yes right after getting $50K from Publix. It wouldn't explain Publix's heiress being the *only donor* willing to bail out—that same week—DeSantis's patron.
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