News from the South - Florida News Feed
Trump is expected to pardon ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich 5 years after commuting his sentence
SUMMARY: President Donald Trump plans to pardon former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who was convicted in 2011 for political corruption and sentenced to 14 years in prison. Trump previously commuted Blagojevich’s sentence during his first term, cutting it short after he served eight years. Blagojevich, who participated in Trump’s “Celebrity Apprentice” in 2010, has drawn attention as Trump linked his case to investigations of his own conduct. The decision to pardon follows Blagojevich’s conviction on 18 counts, with some later overturned by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Axios initially reported on the expected pardon.
The post Trump is expected to pardon ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich 5 years after commuting his sentence appeared first on www.clickorlando.com
News from the South - Florida News Feed
There’s no time to add Republican Rep. Debbie Mayfield to Senate race ballot, state argues • Florida Phoenix
There’s no time to add Republican Rep. Debbie Mayfield to Senate race ballot, state argues
by Jackie Llanos, Florida Phoenix
February 10, 2025
The Feb. 14 deadline to submit ballots to military and overseas voters is too close to add Brevard Republican Rep. Debbie Mayfield’s name to a special election for the state Senate seat she previously held, state attorneys argued in a brief Monday to the Florida Supreme Court.
In defense of Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd, the attorneys claim he held the authority to disqualify Mayfield from the Senate District 19 race because he couldn’t ignore that she wasn’t eligible.
The state’s response comes after Mayfield filed an emergency petition on Thursday, wanting the state’s highest court to ensure her name ends up on the ballot for the seat she held for eight years.
“The Secretary can’t certify the King of England (a non-U.S. citizen) or a notorious serial killer (a convicted felon) for inclusion on a ballot with the hope that a political opponent (if there is one) will file a challenge,” the response to Mayfield’s petition states.
At issue are the constitutional term limits for state lawmakers. Senators and members of the House can only serve eight consecutive years. While Mayfield met that limit in the upper chamber last year, she won the House District 32 seat in November. Because she is not the sitting lawmaker in the SD 19 seat, Mayfield is arguing that the term limits restart and that she’s not running for reelection.
However, state attorneys are trying to convince the court that reelection doesn’t only apply to incumbents and that she would be violating the term limits because her new term would start in 2025. Asking the Florida Supreme Court to dismiss the case, the attorneys insist Mayfield could have sought help from a lower court earlier, characterizing her timing as “inexcusable.”
“Put another way, Petitioner had Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years to think about her candidacy,” the brief states. “At any time, she could have sought declaratory and injunctive relief in circuit court. Or she could have sought an advisory opinion from the Secretary. Or she could have done both, if the Secretary’s opinion proved disagreeable to her. Yet she did nothing. Petitioner has now waited too long — until after governmental action forced her hand.”
A ministerial role
Mayfield maintains that her disqualification is political payback from the DeSantis administration for switching her endorsement in the presidential race from the governor to Donald Trump. Mayfield’s petition to the court states that Byrd lacks power to disqualify her and his job is to ensure candidates submit qualifying paperwork.
“Neither the Secretary, nor the Director [of elections] acting under his authority, have the right to disqualify Mayfield as a candidate for the SD 19 Special Election and prevent her name from appearing on the Special Election primary and general election ballots,” the petition states.
“This is because Mayfield’s Qualifying Paperwork was duly and timely submitted, and is complete on its face. As such, pursuant to statute, the Department of State, which has a purely ministerial role in processing the Qualifying Paperwork, is bound to accept it.”
The emergency petition targets Byrd, Division of Elections Director Maria Matthews, and Brevard Supervisor of Elections Tim Bobanic.
Gov. Ron DeSantis scheduled the SD 19 special election primary for April 1 and the general election for June 10 after Republican Sen. Randy Fine resigned to run for Congress. Mayfield’s resignation from her House seat is effective on June 9.
Mayfield didn’t respond to Florida Phoenix’s requests for comment.
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Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.
News from the South - Florida News Feed
Report: Florida state technology fund has generated $1.1B in investment income | Florida
SUMMARY: The Florida Growth Fund Program has allocated $1.1 billion to the Florida Retirement System Pension Fund since 2008, yielding $133.5 million for the pension. The fund has consistently met return benchmarks and contributed to the creation of 2,300 jobs, with $391 million in capital investments. It invested in 91 companies and 62 private equity funds, with $59.1 million committed in fiscal 2023-24. Managed by Hamilton Lane and J.P. Morgan, the fund’s top sectors for investment include lumber and woodworking wholesalers, professional employer organizations, and roofing contractors. Most investments are concentrated in seven counties, representing 81.8% of the total.
The post Report: Florida state technology fund has generated $1.1B in investment income | Florida appeared first on www.thecentersquare.com
News from the South - Florida News Feed
Family of heart transplant patient who died after leaving JSO custody set to receive $300K settlement
SUMMARY: The family of Dexter Barry, a heart transplant patient who died after a brief stay in Duval County jail in 2022, has settled a federal lawsuit for $300,000. Barry’s family claimed the jail neglected to provide essential medication, leading to his death from cardiac arrest due to autoimmune rejection. He was arrested in November 2022 for allegedly threatening a neighbor and informed police of his medication needs. An autopsy confirmed the cause of death. Following this incident, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office ended its contract with Armor Correctional Health Services, citing inadequate medical care and staffing issues.
The post Family of heart transplant patient who died after leaving JSO custody set to receive $300K settlement appeared first on www.news4jax.com
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