Winners & Losers
This week’s biggest Winners & Losers
Who’s up and who’s down in the Sunshine State?
In what some are calling a “junior varsity debate for the ages” (a comparison Winners & Losers STRONGLY denounces), Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Republican Florida Gov. and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis have seemingly agreed to a “Red vs. Blue” airing of issues. DeSantis told Fox News’ Sean Hannity this week he agreed to debate, which Newsom has been egging him on to do: “Just tell me when and where. We'll do it,” DeSantis said. Newsom’s people asked for available dates. “DeSantis should put up or shut up. Anything else is just games," Newsom’s spokesperson told NBC News. Business Insider reported Newsom agrees to do it on Fox, with Hannity as a moderator, and with no notes. All we need now is a recipe for good debate nachos.
Richard Corcoran -
In the selection of the New College of Florida’s new president, it doesn’t take a clairvoyant to see that the cake has already been baked and frosted. Among the three finalists announced, there are two lifetime academics and Richard Corcoran, a DeSantis ally who is the school’s current interim president. Is there doubt who the majority DeSantis-appointed board will select? We think not. The question is how much of a bump he’ll get over his current almost-$700,000 salary. Huzzah!
Joe Gruters -
It’s good to have important friends. The accounting firm of state Sen. and former state GOP chair Joe Gruters was picked to run former President Donald Trump’s legal defense fund, called the Patriot Legal Defense Fund Inc., reported Florida Bulldog, which noted that it “should prove quite lucrative.” Gruters is solidly on Team Trump, and a good promise of a ‘ka-ching!’ is always a win in our book. Will he get a percentage or a flat fee?
Dennis Prager and Dan Wilks & Farris Wilks -
The founder of the conservative media group PragerU and its top financial backers saw a big boon for their mission in the Sunshine State. Their K-12 student branded content, called PragerU Kids, was approved by the state for use in education. The program's self-admitted goal, as Dennis Prager has said in public appearances, is to provide children with a doctrine. OK, so there are actually forms of indoctrination DeSantis is fine with?
Carlos De Oliveira -
Mar-a-Lago’s property manager is the latest in Donald Trump’s inner circle to face federal charges, in this instance connected to the ex-president’s government documents case. Carlos De Oliveira is accused of helping Trump hide boxes from federal investigators and attempting to delete surveillance footage of the movement of those boxes when a subpoena for the tapes was issued. His attorney told the press it's time for prosecutors “to put their money where their mouth is.” It seems like they are ready to do just that.
Carl Ruderman -
It’s bad enough that 1 Global Capital CEO Carl Ruderman was socked with millions of dollars in civil penalties and other fines as part of the fraud case against his investment firm. Now the feds are seeking to put him in the pokey. He’s been indicted on charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud, the Miami Herald reported. Yipes. Best wishes to the 81-year-old.
John H. Ruiz -
Attorney and University of Miami athletics booster John H. Ruiz leads a health insurance claims company, which now faces “federal civil and criminal investigations,” according to the Herald. LifeWallet said the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission “initiated an investigation into the company” last August and got a grand jury subpoena. That is never how you want to start your day.
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