DeSantis' Office Admits Receiving Golf Simulator From GOP Donor

Facts

• On Wednesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' spokesman Jeremy Redfern admitted that a golf simulator had been donated to the governor's mansion in 2019 by Mori Hosseini — a longtime GOP donor with close ties to DeSantis — confirming reports from the Washington Post and Reuters.¹
• The donation was reportedly documented and approved by legal counsel as required, with the simulator installed in the official residence — priced between $27K and $70K — avowedly being used by the first family, staff, and guests.²
• While Florida state law mandates public officials to file quarterly reports listing any gifts they receive with a value of over $100, the golf simulator had never been disclosed to the Florida Commission on Ethics as it was technically given to the Mansions Commission on loan for an undisclosed term.³
• The 2019 public records show that James Uthmeier — now DeSantis's chief of staff — had reviewed and approved the loan to the Mansion Commission and verified that 'it is permissible in accordance with the Governor's Ethics Code and Florida Statutory Code.'⁴
• Companies controlled by Hosseini reportedly donated at least $361K to support DeSantis' 2022 re-election campaign. It's also alleged he let DeSantis and his wife, Casey, fly on his private plane on at least 12 occasions, including as recently as February.⁵
• The acknowledgment comes after DeSantis announced his presidential bid, which saw him tout his blue-collar bona fides.⁶

Sources: ¹CNN, ²The Hill, ³Reuters, ⁴Washington Post, ⁵Forbes and ⁶Business Insider.

Narratives

• Democratic narrative, as provided by Vanity Fair. Ron DeSantis is falsely pitching himself as a blue-collar, middle-class candidate — a sign he is resorting to the same populist strategy used by Trump. This latest controversy demonstrates that he is exploiting his position and cannot relate to the plights of modern working-class Americans, despite his attempts to seem familiar with the realities of blue-collar life.
• Republican narrative, as provided by PJ Media. It's no coincidence that the left-wing media's attempts to defame DeSantis have come immediately after multiple polls showed that he can defeat Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential election. The Florida governor is a convincing and credible candidate for presidency who connects with voters and would bring a strong policy agenda to the White House. If selected by the GOP, DeSantis's prospects look good.

Predictions