KISSIMMEE, Fla.–Florida’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Jimmy Patronis, took the stage at the Florida Freedom Summit on Nov. 4 to share his plan to fight what he sees as a corrupted and politically motivated federal justice system.
“We need to set up a new legal defense fund for any Florida presidential candidate when they are targeted by politically motivated prosecutors provided by the Department of Justice (DOJ),” he told the summit audience. “These men who are brave enough to put a name on the ballot, we should protect them.”
The “Florida’s Freedom Fighters Defense Fund” would provide an extra level of support for any presidential candidates from the Sunshine State who find themselves a target.
“We can use this to protect any Floridians who want to defend themselves and make sure that the politically motivated prosecutors don’t magically appear during election cycles,” Mr. Patronis said. “It’s just wrong, and it’s weaponizing government. So we should be able to help these individuals fight back.”
Mr. Patronis’s office told The Epoch Times on Nov. 7 that he is currently talking with legislatures to identify “what the mechanics of this program will look like.”
“We'll release a bill in the coming weeks,” said Deputy Communications Director Audrey Walden.
The goal is to have the initiative brought before the regular legislative session that begins in January.
Republican presidential candidates Gov. Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump are both Florida residents and would, therefore, be qualified to take advantage of this fund.
Mr. Patronis appears to point to President Trump as an inspiration for this program, highlighting his New York case on X, formerly Twitter.
“There is a former Republican President of the U.S. sitting on the stand in blue New York,” he said on Nov. 6. “There is no victim in this case, and the judge has already ruled against him before the trial starts.”
When asked if this initiative was intended to assist President Trump in his ongoing legal battles, Ms. Walden said, “Ultimately, whoever is the Republican front-runner will face prosecution by a weaponized federal government.”
The CFO’s office also made it clear that this fund would be separate from normal protective matters like the state’s public defenders.
“The Biden team has thrown the norms out the window, so normal remedies aren’t an option,” Ms. Walden said.
Mr. Patronis also described the Jan. 6 trials as a form of persecution by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Biden administration.
When asked if this defense fund could be used to help other politically targeted Floridians, such as those facing charges and prison time for their involvement in Jan. 6, Ms. Walden said:
“There have clearly been injustices where federal authorities have targeted Americans—we’ve seen it firsthand with IRS harassment. Clearly, step one in creating a fair system where Americans are treated appropriately is removing the barriers to a new president taking office.
“This is where Floridians can submit complaints when they are being targeted by individual IRS agents harassing them or exhibiting politically motivated behavior,” he said. “We are going to find out who is targeting Floridians, and we’re going to hold them accountable.
“And when the federal government will not root out their own corruption, we’re going to expose it online and let transparency do its job.”
