Thread by @indivisible_brd

This thread is about the Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida, its organization & membership, extremist ideology, promotion of "election fraud" claims & anti-public health stances, etc. /1

Republican Liberty Caucus, w/ HQ in Washington DC, was founded at the national level in 1991 as a 527 voluntary grassroots membership organization. They pledge to shrink government, abolish programs, etc. Ron Paul was chair once & Rand endorsed for prez in 2016. /2

The head of the national Republican Liberty Caucus is Matt Nye of Melbourne, Florida. He ran unsuccessfully for #FL52 Florida State House in GOP primary against incumbent Thad Altman in 2018 & 2020. /3

Matt Nye made light of alleged Russian hacking of #FL32 Democratic State House candidate Ryan Morales in his challenge to incumbent GOP Rep. Anthony Sabatini, a RLC darling. /4
orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives…

Republican Liberty Caucus Chair Matt Nye claimed that Florida Ag Commissioner Nikki Fried’s election victory over Matt Caldwell in 2018 was fraudulent. He tweeted about fraud in key swing states in November 2020 after Biden's victory. /5

The head of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida is Bob White, who ran in the FL GOP primary for governor in 2020. He was endorsed by Ron Paul. /6

Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida Chair Bob White urged Sen. Rick Scott on FL RLC letterhead to decertify the electoral college vote for 2020 presidential election. He continues to call for “audits” of the 2020 election. RLC advocates impeaching Biden after 2022 midterms. / 7

The Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida is sponsoring billboards in Tallahassee urging Gov. Ron DeSantis to “audit” the 2020 presidential election & support HB 99 sponsored by Florida State Rep. & Congressional candidate Anthony Sabatini. /8
myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills…

Florida RLC Constitution Day Dinner speakers have included #CD19 GOP Congressman Byron Donalds, former Collier County School Board member Erika Donalds, attorney KrisAnne Hall, who argues states have right to secede. National meeting had US Rep. Massie. /9 splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019…

The Republican Liberty Caucus has supported US Reps Andy Biggs & Bill Posey. Andy Biggs was close to January 6 Stop the Steal ringleaders, and Biggs & Posey voted to decertify electoral college results of 2020 presidential election. /10
wlrn.org/news/2021-01-0…

Republican Liberty Caucus of East Central Florida cast doubt on science behind face masks, contact tracing, & social distancing for #COVID19 pandemic. Florida statewide chapter pushed vaccine hesitancy from discredited source Project Veritas. /11

Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida works with Moms for Liberty, founded by Sarasota school board member Bridget Ziegler, Brevard school board member Tina Descovich & others. Descovich spoke at RLC national conference. /12

Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida has supported "Medical Freedom" Protests, including one in Orange County (Orlando area) organized by RLC Central Florida Director & #CD10 GOP Congressional candidate Willie Montague. /13

Republican Liberty Caucus Board of Directors member Jessico Bowman was involved in a protest against Flagler school board due to COVID restrictions & quarantine for son. Protesters clashed with police; one called for a militia. /14

Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida Northeast Director Ken Morrow is member of a group SPLC calls “anti-immigrant” as well as member of CSPOA, which believes in local county authority supremacy over state & federal authority. Also #CNP group ties. /15
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019…

QAnon conspiracy theorist John Michael Chambers spoke at Treasure Coast Republican Liberty Caucus in Port St. Lucie & Sarasota Liberty Caucus meetings in November 2019. He also contributed to the Sarasota RLC newsletter. /16

Republican Liberty Caucus platform on Foreign Relations opposes all trade restrictions on imports & exports. They want to end all payments to other states & international orgs, which would cut off both foreign aid & US military aid to countries around the world. /17

Republican Liberty Caucus wants to privatize all government assets & repeal the 16th amendment to the US Constitution, which allows federal income tax. /18

RLC Entitlements platform supports privatization or end of social security, Medicare, etc. For Government Reform they want to abolish agencies including TSA. RLC wants to end a government role in the institution of marriage in favor of a system of civil contracts for all. /19

The Republican Liberty Caucus amended its abortion platform in 2021. The wording isn't fully clear but they do clearly oppose public funding. /20

The Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida has taken a special interest in the Internet. RLC of Southwest Florida opposed net neutrality. East Central Florida opposed Internet sales tax. /21

The Republican Liberty Caucus of East Central Florida hosted a meeting in April 2020 to learn how decentralization & blockchain could help them recover from the coronavirus pandemic. /22

Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida gave their first Hall of Shame “Oath Breaker” award to former Florida Senate President Bill Galvano because he supported gun safety legislation. They gave similar awards to Sen. Rick Scott & Marco Rubio on gun issues. /23

In 2014 & continuing on, Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida had a Come Clean initiative to promote changes to campaign financing to eliminate dark money; they cite Joe Gruters’ efforts in approval, despite Gruters' role in circulating GOP money. /24

Republican Liberty Caucus of East Central Florida received $5,000 from Conservatives for Good Government PAC in 2018. Other PAC recipients included names associated w/central FL shill candidate scandal, along w/ Florida GOP Chair Joe Gruters & Bradenton State Senator Jim Boyd/25

Conservatives for Good Government is Florida Senate Majority Leader Debbie Mayfield’s political committee. She represents #FL17 Indian River & Brevard Counties. She sponsored Republican Liberty Caucus Constitution Day 2020 events & Moms for Liberty. /26
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debbie_Ma…

Florida Citizens Alliance counts Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida as members of “strategic alliance.” Lots of #ShadowNetwork CNP partners on here, including John Stemberger’s Florida Family Policy Council, Caroline Wetherington’s Defend Florida, Charlie Kirk’s TPUSA, etc. /27

Florida Citizens Alliance anti-CRT petition includes Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida, plus CNP-connected Defend Florida, etc. /28

cc: @gal_suburban @jennycohn1 @anelsona @davetroy @zacjanderson @ChrisA0213 @jacobogles @MRMasferrer @JRMcKinnon @a_snabes @RCCallihan @JaneMayerNYer