'Sabotage': DeSantis team blasts texts across state criticizing Republicans

Kirby Wilson, Tampa Bay Times on Apr 23, 2025

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Florida House members had an interesting Wednesday thanks to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Around noon Eastern time, constituents of Republican lawmakers around the state started getting a text message.

“It’s Gov. DeSantis. Florida House leaders are working with Democrats to stop our agenda and sabotage Florida’s success,” it read. “Call your State Rep ... and tell them to stand with the people and me to keep Florida free!”

Florida House members were deluged with calls, three elected officials told the Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald.

The texts came from Restore Our Nation (RON) PAC, a DeSantis-associated committee that is dedicated to supporting “energetic, conservative leadership that delivers on its word,” according to its fundraising webpage.

DeSantis has taken exception to the House’s position on a number of issues. A bill that would have changed how university presidents get picked drew the ire of the governor, then passed the House, for example. This month alone, he’s called House Speaker Daniel Perez’s leadership “terrible” and “rotten.”

But nothing has caused more turmoil between the House and the governor’s office than the House’s ongoing probe of Hope Florida. Lawmakers are looking into the initiative, which has been spearheaded by first lady Casey DeSantis and an associated foundation, which they believe may have funneled Medicaid funds to political causes at the governor’s office’s request last year.

Rep. Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, has been at the forefront of the House’s investigation. His constituents got the text from DeSantis world, and his office got calls — but none of them were negative, he said.

“I got a bunch of attaboys,” he wrote in a text.

Rep. Michelle Salzman, another Panhandle Republican, said her office got 28 calls.

DeSantis’ message did not appear to discriminate between friends or foes.

The constituents of Rep. Mike Caruso, R-Delray Beach, also got the message despite the fact that Caruso has been one of the governor’s most loyal allies in the House.

In a text message to the Times/Herald, Caruso wrote that he explained to the few dozen callers that he’s been fighting for DeSantis in Tallahassee.

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