Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis Advocates for $5M Legal Fund for Donald Trump, Citing ‘Political Discrimination’

As reported by Florida Politics, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis is championing a legislative proposal to allocate $5 million from state funds to former President Donald Trump. This initiative is aimed at covering Trump’s legal fees, which Patronis argues stem from ‘political discrimination’ by Democratic prosecutors in various jurisdictions.

The funding, proposed under bills SB 1738 and SB 1740 sponsored by Sen. Ileana Garcia, a Miami Republican, is intended to support Trump amidst multiple indictments and charges. These include allegations related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, along with various civil and criminal cases in New York, Washington D.C., and Atlanta.

Patronis has criticized these legal actions as efforts to undermine Trump’s presidential campaign. “The Left is really good at weaponizing the courts, and because President (Joe) Biden is so unpopular, they’re not just trying to beat Trump at the ballot box, they’re trying to throw him behind bars, which is outrageous,” Patronis stated.

Sen. Garcia echoed these sentiments, arguing that the legal challenges are attempts to steal the election from Trump, rather than legitimate prosecutions. “We’re in the midst of an historic moment where we’re watching an election that’s trying to be stolen by left wing prosecutors, the Biden Administration and even blue states,” Garcia claimed.

The proposed fund, titled the “Defending Freedom Fighters Trust Fund,” would be sourced from a state fund used to support qualified statewide candidates and would be replenished by voluntary donations made during driver’s license renewals.

As of now, the bills have not received a hearing in the Senate, and no companion bills have been filed in the House. The legal charges Trump faces include a civil suit in New York over alleged inflation of his net worth, charges in Georgia related to the 2020 election, and federal conspiracy charges, among others.

The proposal by Patronis and Garcia has sparked controversy and debate, highlighting the polarized political environment in Florida and the nation. It underscores the contentious legal battles faced by Trump, who continues his GOP Primary campaign following Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ exit from the race.