DeSantis appointee Suzy Lopez on her campaign, the gov and gun violence

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Good morning and welcome to Monday.

Hillsborough County state attorney Suzy Lopez has never campaigned for office before. Now, the Republican prosecutor is in a race the whole state seems to be watching.

Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Lopez to her job in August 2022 after he ousted twice-elected Democratic state attorney Andrew Warren. One of the reasons the governor’s office cited for the suspension was that Warren vowed not to prosecute violations of abortion or transgender care bans. But that wasn’t the end of it — Warren is still suing DeSantis in federal court and running for the Democratic nomination to get reinstated following a favorable ruling from an appeals court.

Lopez, who spent most of her career in the state attorney’s office, wants to keep her position and is running for a full term. Before this job, DeSantis had appointed her as county judge in December 2021, a job she said made her “very happy” until she felt called to serve her community in a different way.

While Lopez acknowledged the race has gotten much national attention, she avoided criticizing Warren in an interview with Playbook, saying she’s focused on her native Hillsborough County and supporting law enforcement. Her office prosecutes about 50,000 cases a year.

“I put my head down and do my job,” she said, describing late nights at crime scenes and days spent in court. “There’s a lot of noise on the outside.”

On getting the appointment …

Lopez was presiding over a hearing when she noticed a missed call. She called back in between hearings and said she was stunned by the shakeup.

“I don’t think in my entire life I’ve been more surprised about anything, to be quite honest,” she said. “But it was a call to serve my hometown and to serve my community, and so it’s a call that I answered.”

She described her first days on the job as “business as usual,” saying “nobody got fired” or “walked out the door in protest.”

On her relationship with DeSantis …

Lopez said she has spoken to the governor only a handful of times, including thanking him for the appointment.

“I know that there’s been a lot of talk that I call Tallahassee every day to get my marching orders,” she said. “I can tell you that’s 100 percent not true. He trusts me.”

On DeSantis saying he’ll get involved in working to defeat Warren …

Lopez hadn’t asked for his backing, but said she was grateful for any support her campaign received. Most of her donations have come from local contributors.

“That’s an independent effort that we don’t control,” she said of DeSantis’ Freedom Fund. “I’m grateful that we have a governor who supports law and order, who has faith in me.”

On her recent expansion of the gun violence unit …

Lopez announced last month that her office was expanding the unit from one to five attorneys amid a rise in gun-related crimes. The unit had been created 15 years ago as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a federal grant that helps prosecutors collaborate better with law enforcement.

Lopez told Playbook she’d wanted a dedicated, specialized unit similar to the economic crimes, special victims and major crimes units.

“These are hard cases to prosecute,” she said. “The unit is geared specifically toward non-fatal shootings. There are some homicides — but for the most part, these are charges that are either attempted murder or aggravated battery with great bodily harm that carry a 25-year mandatory minimum prison sentence.”

On whether she’d enforce Florida’s six-week abortion ban and restrictions on transgender care …

Lopez said there’s been “fear-mongering” about the new abortion law and added that voters would have the final say in November when they’ll face a ballot question on the issue. She also called the question of what she’d do a “hypothetical.”

“The law does not call for a woman to be put in jail for having an abortion,” she said. “No case on abortion or or anything involving transgender care has ever come through the doors of the state attorney’s office.”

COMING UP: Playbook will be on the ground at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Send tips to [email protected] about Florida-focused get togethers, speaking slots and anything else of interest to our readers.

... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ...

FROM THE MAGAZINE — “Abortion rights supporters won’t get their amendment passed without Republican women like Audrey McNiff,” by Gabby Deutch for POLITICO.

— “Florida abortions dropped after six-week ban took effect in May, report says,” by News Service of Florida.

FLIGHTS FIGHT — “Group seeks to resurrect lawsuit against DeSantis over migrant flights,” reports POLITICO’s Andrew Atterbury. “The group that sued Gov. Ron DeSantis over flights sending undocumented migrants from the southern border to Martha’s Vineyard wants another shot at the Republican’s administration in federal court. An attorney representing the migrants on Thursday asked a Massachusetts court to once again take up the case alleging that the Republican governor, as well as current and former top aides, misled some 50 migrants as a publicity stunt. Seeking to revive the legal challenge that was scaled back by a judge in April, the group made several tweaks attempting to more clearly tie the DeSantis administration to the controversial operation.”

AS FOR THE CALIFORNIA MIGRANT FLIGHTS … “With false promises, Florida sent migrants to Sacramento a year ago. Where are they now?” by the Sacramento Bee’s Matthew Miranda. “Their arrival elicited national headlines, public outrage from state officials and a community-wide response, largely shouldered by nonprofit and faith-based organizations. The attention eventually faded away and federal, state and county governments failed to provide resources. In this void, groups and volunteers have borne the unexpected costs of helping the migrants.”

SIDE BY SIDE — “2 governors confronting extreme heat take opposite approaches to safety rules,” reports POLITICO’s Blanca Begert and Bruce Ritchie. “In California, employers will soon have to provide water and air conditioned areas for workers when temperatures inside warehouses rise above 82 degrees. When it goes above 87, workers will get shorter shifts and personal cooling fans. In Florida, when a 95-degree sun bears down on farmworkers, local governments are actually prohibited from making employers supply water or a break in the shade. The split on heat-related labor protections tracks with the scorched-earth feud between California and Florida’s Democratic and Republican governors, Gavin Newsom and Ron DeSantis.”

DON’T SAY ‘CLIMATE CHANGE’ — “Textbook authors told climate change references must be cut to get Florida’s OK,” by the Orlando Sentinel’s Leslie Postal. “Textbook authors were told last month that some references to ‘climate change’ must be removed from science books before they could be accepted for use in Florida’s public schools, according to two of those authors. A high school biology book also had to add citations to back up statements that ‘human activity’ caused climate change and cut a ‘political statement’ urging governments to take action to stop climate change, said Ken Miller, the co-author of that textbook and a professor emeritus of biology at Brown University.”

— “Florida schools can use religious chaplains for counseling. Will they?” by the Tampa Bay Times’ Jeffrey S. Solochek.

CYBER ATTACK — “Hacker group claims it breached Florida Department of Health system, demands payment,” report Lawrence Mower, Romy Ellenbogen and Christopher O’Donnell of the Tampa Bay Times. “The RansomHub ransomware group said in a post on the dark web that it will release 100 gigabytes of department data unless the state pays an undisclosed amount of money … What type of information the group possesses, or even whether it possesses any, is unclear.”

CONTAMINATION — “Powerful Florida family sold DeSantis administration toxic land, lawsuit alleges,” by the Miami Herald’s Alexandra Glorioso. “Last year, the state of Florida purchased more than 11,000 acres for nearly $30 million from the powerful Collier family near Everglades City for conservation. Now, a former employee of Parker J. Collier — the matriarch of the family from which Collier County gets its name — claims most of that land is toxic. In a federal lawsuit unsealed late last week, Sonja Eddings Brown — Collier’s former employee — says independent tests show that at least 8,000 acres of the land sold are likely contaminated with a wood treatment chemical called creosote related to a 1956 fire she claims the family never cleaned up.”

PENINSULA AND BEYOND

CASH COW — “New law will require transparency for red light cameras. Some Florida cities are making a killing,” by WLRN’s Daniel Rivero. “Every month, [West Miami] regularly snaps thousands of automated photos of people suspected of violating traffic laws. The money derived from six red light cameras amounts to more than 15 percent of the city’s total revenue, far higher than most other cities that run the programs. The cameras are expected to generate a total of $1.45 million in revenue for the city this year, making them the second largest source of funds, after property taxes. The total estimated revenue for the city this year is $9.2 million.”

...HURRICANE HOLE...

FLORIDA NEIGHBORS — “Beryl dealt Caribbean economies massive blow, says UN. It may take years to recover,” reports the Miami Herald’s Jacqueline Charles. “United Nations representatives in the Caribbean say it is still too early to put a price tag on the devastation. But Beryl’s trail of destruction they say, which includes sunken boats in Barbados, flattened homes in the Grenadines, cut off roads in St. Lucia and downed plantain fields in southern Haiti, is a huge blow to the development of several island-nations.”

DIRE START — “Beryl feasted on record-hot water. Here’s why that matters for Florida,” reports the Tampa Bay Times’ Eve Lu. “Typically, the most intense hurricanes don’t come until late summer. But Beryl swelled into the earliest Category 5 hurricane and strongest July storm in recorded history in the Atlantic. It was fueled by ocean waters already ‘as warm as they’d be at the peak of the season,’ blogged University of Miami researcher Brian McNoldy.”

CAMPAIGN MODE

TODAY — First Lady Jill Biden is coming to Tampa, per Kirby Wilson of the Tampa Bay Times. The campaign said she’ll be launching Veterans and Military Families for Biden-Harris in Florida and other states.

TOMORROW — Former President Trump to deliver remarks in Doral during a campaign rally.

COMING UP — Florida College Democrats, High School Democrats, Young Democrats and Voters of Tomorrow Florida will host their inaugural Youth Summit in Orlando on July 12 and 13.

LACKLUSTER START — “Sluggish fundraising continues for Ron DeSantis’ ‘Freedom Fund’ targeting weed, abortion amendments,” reports Florida Politics’ A.G. Gancarski. “The committee has raised just north of $121,000 as of June 28, with the bulk of the activity coming in the seven days preceding that date. Apopka’s POB Ventures, LLC donated $100,000. The company holds a Cannabis College trademark, which seems to facilitate the Sativa University at its address, a training ground for those wanting to get into the medical marijuana sector. Real estate developer Ronald Wolf of Pennsylvania also donated $10,000 in the most recent reported week.”

BIG GET — “Ken Griffin gives $500,000 to back Miami-Dade’s Democratic mayor,” reports Bloomberg’s Anna J. Kaiser. “Ken Griffin, a major donor to Republican politicians, is backing the reelection of Miami-Dade County’s Democratic mayor, as the founder of Citadel expands his political clout in his new home base. Griffin, who moved to Miami from Chicago two years ago, has given $500,000 to Daniella Levine Cava’s campaign in June, according to a filing … So far, Cava’s political action committee has raised $1.6 million this year, with Griffin’s being the largest individual contribution.”

— “In a Florida retiree stronghold, anger and hope for Biden,” by the Washington Post’s Lori Rozsa.

— “Some Biden Florida donors worry about candidate’s age, ability,” reports the Tampa Bay Times’ Nina Moske and Kirby Wilson.

— “Disney heiress says she’ll stop donating to Democrats unless they replace Biden on ticket,” by The Hill’s Taylor Giorno.

ANALYSIS — “It’s not your vote that Biden and Trump seek on Florida’s social media. So what is it?” by the Tampa Bay Times’ Ivy Nyayieka. “The candidates asked for donations in 97 percent of their ads shown to Floridians on Facebook or Instagram this year, according to a Tampa Bay Times analysis of over 10,000 records from Meta’s platform from Jan. 1 to mid-June. In a sign of how Florida is no longer a swing state, ads seeking residents’ votes have plummeted. Meanwhile, Biden and Trump have spent significantly less overall on Facebook ads here than they did in the same period in 2020, according to data from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower.”

— “GOP, Sen. Scott struggle to navigate politics of IVF,” by the Orlando Sentinel’s Skyler Swisher.

— “Orlando-area state Senate candidate charged with $48K theft from HOA,” by the Orlando Sentinel’s Annie Martin.

TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP

MORE DELAYS — “Judge delays some deadlines in Trump classified documents case,” by The New York Times’ Alan Feuer. “A federal judge on Saturday postponed a few deadlines in former President Donald J. Trump’s classified documents case to allow prosecutors time to respond to his request for a broader pause in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling this week on executive immunity. On Friday, lawyers for Mr. Trump asked Judge Aileen M. Cannon, who is overseeing the case, for permission to file additional papers to bolster their immunity contention. They argue that the Supreme Court’s decision in a separate case granting Mr. Trump wide protections for official acts as president applies to the documents proceeding.”

ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN

BIRTHDAYS: Former Miami Herald reporter Marty Merzer ... state Rep. Juan Carlos Porras ... former Department of Lottery spokesperson Connie Barnes … Douglas Mannheimer.