JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — New numbers from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement show taxpayers are forking up more money for the Governor’s security due to his Presidential campaign.
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Florida taxpayers spent roughly $9.4 million this past fiscal year on security for Governor Ron DeSantis, the First Lady, and the First Family.
The figure also includes the cost of security at the Governor’s Mansion.
But security for the Governor himself was the largest expense by far, and the price tag has been growing rapidly in recent years.
From mid-2020 to mid-2021, the state spent a total of $3.8 million protecting the Governor alone.
The following fiscal year that cost rose to $4.8 million and this past year it ballooned to $8 million.
It represents a nearly 70% year-over-year increase.
State Representative Anna Eskamani (D-Orlando) argued the recent spike in security costs is a direct result of the Governor’s bid for the Presidency.
“We could be spending this money and helping Floridians with their costs of living. Instead, we have to spend it on security for our Governor, because he refuses to resign while he runs for President,” said Eskamani.
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The Governor’s Office attributed the rising costs to increased threats.
“His record as the most effective conservative governor in American history has also earned him an elevated threat profile, and FDLE has increased the number of protective agents to ensure the governor and his family remain safe,” said DeSantis Press Secretary Jeremy Redfern in a statement.
UNF political science professor Dr. Michael Binder explained FDLE does have an obligation to ensure the Governor and his family’s safety.
“A consistent FDLE presence is going to be more secure than maybe farming it out to some you know, for lack of a better term, rent-a-cops for a particular event,” said Binder.
But he argued there’s no doubt the Governor’s elevated profile is inextricably intertwined with his Presidential aspirations.
“I’m not sure that there’s anybody who has a reasonable assessment of politics in Florida that doesn’t think the previous year or even two years of legislative policies have anything to do but with him planning a run for national office,” said Binder. “So, these are all tied together.”
Binder predicted the cost of the Governor’s security could be even higher next year, depending on how far DeSantis takes his campaign into the Presidential Primary.
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