Florida CFO proposes public funding for Trump or other candidates’ legal defense

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis said Monday he is “talking to members” about establishing new state law publicly funding the legal defense of presidential candidates from Florida if they are subject of “politically motivated lawsuits.”

It could be named the “Defending Freedom Fighters Fund,” Patronis said.

Patronis, a member of the Florida Cabinet, floated the proposal over the weekend at the Republican Party of Florida’s Freedom Summit.

“We need a fund to support this in our state,” he said. “We can use our record budget surpluses to do it. That way ANY Floridians who run for President can have a way to defend themselves from politically motivated lawsuits that just magically appear during an election cycle.”

Monday, Patronis pondered the idea on social media, alluding to former President Donald Trump’s multiple legal cases: “Why not provide public funding for a presidential nominee (who’s a Floridian) when DOJ is after them?”

Trump faces four criminal cases with a plethora of indictments, out of Washington, D.C., Georgia and New York.

“Are we really going to deny one of our own a fair shot against a witch hunt? We didn’t start this, Biden and liberal prosecutors did,” Patronis said. “They’re ones trying to deny a fair election.”

“That is just wrong. Weaponizing our government is wrong and there should be more resources available to Floridians to fight back!”

Patronis made the comments as Florida lawmakers meet this week to pass legislation on select topics, such as supporting Israel, sanctioning Iran, hurricane relief and more.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, also running for president in 2024 and also from Florida, recently touted the state’s 2023 budget including a total of billions of dollars in tax relief for Floridians. In 2022, the state reached a record surplus.

Patronis supported his argument in part by arguing the state has “plenty of money” that can be used to “defend serious Florida candidates from prosecution by the DOJ and other partisan prosecutors.”

“I am more committed than ever to setting up this legal defense fund,” he said.

According to the Associated Press, the former president has spent close to $37 million via his Save America political action committee to law firms since January 2022.

Monday, Trump was in court in New York, testifying in a civil case regarding his properties.