Florida GOP lawmakers react to Trump NYC verdict
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida lawmakers reacted to news of a New York City jury finding former President Donald Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records, making him the first former president to be convicted of a felony.
“Today’s verdict represents the culmination of a legal process that has been bent to the political will of the actors involved: a leftist prosecutor, a partisan judge and a jury reflective of one of the most liberal enclaves in America—all in an effort to ‘get’ Donald Trump,” said Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“That this case—involving alleged misdemeanor business records violations from nearly a decade ago—was even brought is a testament to the political debasement of the justice system in places like New York City,” he said. “This is especially true considering this same district attorney routinely excuses criminal conduct in a way that has endangered law-abiding citizens in his jurisdiction.”
The governor said Trump had been singled out by prosecutors.
“If the defendant were not Donald Trump, this case would never have been brought, the judge would have never issued similar rulings, and the jury would have never returned a guilty verdict,” he continued.
“In America, the rule of law should be applied in a dispassionate, even-handed manner, not become captive to the political agenda of some kangaroo court,” the governor said.
Republican Sen. Rick Scott called the trial “sham.”
“This was a sham trial and the clearest example we’ve ever seen of election interference. I am furious and no American is safe from Democrat political persecution,” Scott said.
“Joe Biden and the Democrat machine manufactured a legal case against Trump to win an election,” he said. “I went to New York to stand with President Trump and the American voters will stand with him this November.”
Republican Sen. Marco Rubio also posted to his X account, “The verdict in New York is a complete travesty that makes a mockery of our system of justice. A political show trial conducted by an openly pro-Biden judge whose daughter makes money off the case, a jury from the most liberal county in America, absurd and ridiculous charges and outrageous jury instructions that guaranteed guilty verdicts.”
Rep. Byron Donalds also reacted to the verdict, saying, “What happened in NY is disaster verdict by a crooked judge and a crooked prosecution. Donald Trump is innocent.”
“To hell with what the jury said,” Donalds posted on his “X” account. “America, this is what a political prosecution looks like. Remember in November!”
Florida state Sen. Danny Burgess told Florida’s Voice, “This case against President Trump was a blatant abuse of the legal system. Since the very beginning, it was clear that it was politically motivated.”
“Weaponizing the courts like this to go after a political opponent was designed to affect actual election interference, plain and simple, and it goes against the very foundation this nation was built on,” Burgess said.
“Today’s verdict proves that radical leftists will stop at nothing to destroy President Donald J. Trump,” Florida state Rep. Berny Jacques of District 59 said in a statement to Florida’s Voice.
“The State of New York should be using its public resources to combat rampant crime and illegal immigration in their state, but they instead spent taxpayer dollars to stack up a Soviet style kangaroo court. This is a shameful and dangerous misuse of our legal system,” said Jacques.
State Sen. Jay Collins called the verdict “political persecution.”
“Our heroes didn’t sacrifice their lives for this country so that a corrupt regime can persecute a political opponent. This was blatant persecution against the leading candidate for President, Donald J. Trump,” he said.
“The American people are not foolish. It’s clear that Joe Biden has successfully orchestrated a sham trial. It’s time to stand up and ensure that Biden’s banana republic administration is not successful in November. #FreeTrump.”
Florida state Rep. Randy Fine asked on his X account, “It is now a reasonable question to ask if Florida and New York can exist in the same union.”
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis also reacted to the verdict: “Banana republic. To orchestrate charges in an election year for something years earlier just to try and take out a political opponent – this is what people have been fleeing in 3rd World countries for decades. Embarrassing. Low point in American history. Sad day.”
Florida’s Voice has reached out to a number of other state lawmakers for comment and will update with more as this story develops.
