10 Democrat House Lawmakers Reportedly Raised Money During Session, Breaking House Rules
June 21, 2022 Updated 10:04 A.M. ET
TALLAHASSEE (FLV) – Campaign records show ten Democrats in the Florida House seem to have taken campaign cash during either a special or regular session, potentially breaking House rules.
Some House Democrats raked in hundreds to thousands of dollars in campaign cash, even though House rules state a member cannot campaign or take money during a session.
“It’s ‘rules for thee but not for me’ as far as Florida Democrats are concerned. Either they are deliberately breaking the rules, or this is another glaring example of the inept chaos that exists at the Florida Democrat Party,” The Florida House Republican Campaign Committee said in a news release.
Democrat State Rep. David Silvers from Palm Beach reportedly broke the rules and accepted $85,750 through his Floridians for Economic Leadership committee.
Silvers raked in $17,000 during the May 2021 special session, $6,000 during the November 2021 special session, and $52,000 during the 2022 regular session.
State Rep. Andrew Learned, a Democrat from Brandon, received $10,854, most of which was taken during the 2022 Regular Session.
Democrat State Rep. Dianne Hart raised $5,700 during the 2022 regular session.
Democrat Rep. Anna Eskamani from Orlando fundraised a total of about $3,200 throughout multiple sessions. About $596 was brought in during the 2022 regular session, $600 during the 2021 May special session, $454 during the November 2021 special session, $162 during an April special session, and $1,385 in the May 2022 special session.
State Rep. Michele Rayner, D-St. Petersburg, took in $2,260 during the 2022 special session in May. Democratic State Rep. Yvonne Hinson received $2,225 mostly during the November of 2021 special session.
Democrat State Rep. Joe Cassello of Boynton Beach accepted $2,000 during the 2021 November special session. State Rep. Kevin Chambliss received $1,075, most of which was taken during the November 2021 special session.
Democrat Rep. Michael Gottlieb, D-Davie, took in $2,000 during the 2022 regular session. State Rep. Dottie Joseph, D-North Miami, received $1,000 in the 2022 regular session.
As of Monday morning, some of the campaign contributions had been amended to show candidates receiving the money on different dates than what was provided in the data.
The Florida House Republican Campaign Committee provided screenshots of the campaign contributions prior to the amendments. Candidates are allowed to truthfully amend campaign contributions for the records.
Florida Democrat Party in ‘Shambles’ as Voter Registration Dips and Party Left ‘Rudderless’
Florida Democrats are losing their grip on the sunshine state as donors flee and their voter registration numbers dip. Republicans have said the party is in “disarray” and with poor leadership.
Most recent numbers show Republicans with 134,000 more Republican registered voters than Democrats in Florida in April. This is in stark contrast to when Democrats had 257,000 more registered voters than Republicans. Gov. Ron DeSantis was sworn into office in 2019.
State Democrats are struggling to win local races. For instance, Minority Leader Sen. Lauren Book, D-Broward County, has previously fundraised for other Democrats but now faces a heated contested race in her own district.
Democratic Ranking Member Rep. Michael Grieco, D-Miami Beach, announced he would not seek reelection citing a lack of resources from the “Tallahassee Establishment” as a main reason.
