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Scott’s Sham Drilling Press Conference Was “Carefully Choreographed”
Yet again, Rick Scott has been caught in a self-serving political lie as he gets ready for his upcoming campaign for Senate. New records reported by Politico reveal that Scott and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke conspired to make it appear that Scott convinced Zinke to modify his drilling plan to favor Florida — when, in reality, it had been planned days before their surprise press conference in Florida.
“Rick Scott has proven time and time again to Floridians that they cannot trust him. He hasn’t even officially announced his campaign for Senate, and yet he’s already at it again. It’s clear that Rick Scott’s only agenda is to score partisan political points, and he will lie to the people of Florida like the wealthy political insider he is,” said American Bridge spokesperson Joshua Karp. “Floridians will remember these lies when they vote in November.”
Politico: Records, Zinke’s office refute Scott framing of impromptu oil-drilling reversal
By Matt Dixon | March 27, 2018
- “When Gov. Rick Scott and U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced Jan. 9 Florida was ‘off the table’ for offshore oil drilling, the governor cast the hastily arranged news conference at the Tallahassee airport as unplanned and the Trump administration’s decision as something Scott had influenced at the eleventh hour.”
- “The records reaffirm the perception at the time that the Trump administration’s decision to reverse course and remove Florida from the list was carefully choreographed to give Scott a political win in his widely expected challenge this year to unseat Nelson.”
- “In fact, Zinke’s top advance staffer, whose job it is to plan ahead for such events, was in Tallahassee the previous day. And top officials from the offices of both Scott and the secretary were in regular contact for several days leading up to the announcement, according to more than 1,200 documents reviewed by POLITICO Florida as part of a public records request.”
- “The documents, which include phone records, text messages, and emails, contradict the supposed spontaneous event that portrayed Scott as single-handedly securing a politically popular win for Florida’s environmental future only days after the administration had spelled out a controversial new national five-year plan to boost offshore oil drilling.”
- “Nelson, Democrats and other Scott opponents always saw political motivations in the quick about-face by the Trump administration toward Florida. Scott was one of Trump’s earliest political supporters, and is the current chairman of a pro-Trump super PAC.”
Read the full story here. |
