Michael Barfield

Investigative Reporter and Public Access Director at the Florida Center for Government Accountability Opinions are my own personal views.

[Michael Barfield @mbar62]

DeSantis sent his DOGE director to a D.C. event co-hosted by someone posting Nazi imagery, alongside a network whose co-founder wrote that part of the population "just needs to be killed." Given every chance to condemn it, Eric Soskin said nothing. https://t.co/VJTX3jnjc3

[Jason Garcia @Jason_Garcia]

Byron Donalds, the leading Republican candidate for governor in Florida, collected $60,000 in hard-dollar checks from 20 people and corporate entities connected to Timberline Real Estate Partners, a major data center developer.

[Lawrence Mower @lmower3]

NEW: Florida AG James Uthmeier won't say if he's trying to keep the grand jury report into Hope Florida a secret.

The report could reveal new details about his role in the scandal.

He's up for election in November.

w/@claireheddles, @aglorios:
https://t.co/gTV9KDBCoX

[Michael Barfield @mbar62]

https://t.co/x5pVjqakG2

[Michael Barfield @mbar62]

New filing rocks the Maya Kowalski case: She now accuses former lead attorney Greg Anderson of inappropriate conduct, raising new questions as the case heads toward a retrial.
Read more: https://t.co/jYxo9dVUbA
#MayaKowalski #KowalskiCase #FloridaCourts #LegalNews

[Michael Barfield @mbar62]

Top state officials are hiding from the public a grand jury's report on the Hope Florida investigation.

The Florida Trident is challenging the secret court proceeding. https://t.co/YiHofNBIfe

Courts are not allowed to operate in the dark.

#SunshineWeek #ReleasetheReport

[Gary Fineout @fineout]

A federal judge blocked @GovRonDeSantis from declaring CAIR a "terrorist" organization. "The First Amendment bars the Governor from continuing the troubling trend of using an executive office to make a political statement at the expense of others’ constitutional rights," wrote Judge Walker.

[Emily L. Mahoney @mahoneysthename]

High electric costs are top-of-mind for many Florida voters, and a powerful Republican lawmaker has tried to tackle them.

For the second year in a row, though, he said FPL killed the bill:
https://t.co/47QS0Uv8Ir

[Michael Barfield @mbar62]

BREAKING NEWS: A Florida grand jury has returned a presentment in the Hope Florida investigation — but the State Attorney’s Office is refusing to release it, citing grand jury secrecy under § 905.28.

If no presentment existed, there’d be nothing to withhold.

Here’s what we know 👇https://t.co/xBrOqVtmmD

[Michael Barfield @mbar62]

A strip of publicly owned conservation land along Lemon Bay has disappeared from county maps after a controversial push by a Sarasota commissioner. What happened — and why it matters for taxpayers and mangroves. #FloridaTrident #Conservation #Mangroves https://t.co/SxfKecWEzN

[Michael Barfield @mbar62]

What started as campaign opposition research is now a criminal investigation.
We dug into the audits, emails, and records behind the FDLE probe of the former Sarasota Tax Collector’s office. https://t.co/TZLHYrtShP

[Michael Barfield @mbar62]

Seems odd, but CNBC claims Trump asked Bondi to prosecute him in the subheading of this article. https://t.co/ahQywTwf6f

[Michael Barfield @mbar62]

BREAKING: Sarasota Assistant County Administrator Mark Cunningham has resigned amid fallout from the county’s stormwater failures during the 2024 floods. His departure follows a joint investigation by Florida Trident and Suncoast Searchlight and calls for accountability.
Full story ➡️ https://t.co/qf1jMJ5dsk

[Jason Garcia @Jason_Garcia]

And who instructed Secure Florida’s Future and Save Our Society From Drugs to ask for $5 million each from the Hope Florida Foundation?

James Uthmeier.

https://t.co/8FSol8vUhG

(19/x)

[Jason Garcia @Jason_Garcia]

That’s what the executive director of Save Our Society From Drugs told state Rep. Alex Andrade, the Pensacola Republican who has been presiding over hearings into the Hope Florida scandal.

https://t.co/XaTpWKMnN4

(20/x)

[Lawrence Mower @lmower3]

NEW: DeSantis officials steered $10 million of a $67 million legal settlement to a charity overseen by his wife.

A top Republican believes it was illegal.

By @aglorios and me (and we link to the settlement):

https://t.co/37cxJi4XKE

[Scott Maxwell @Scott_Maxwell]

Donald Trump killed “congestion” pricing in New York.
Meanwhile, Florida officials are celebrating “dynamic” toll pricing in Central Florida - of as much as $21 for a one-way, 21-mile trip.
The latest look at Florida - the most-tolled state in America.
https://t.co/M4JM3ig5x7

[Michael Barfield @mbar62]

@bradentonherald Wow! Publix will now have to change their "Where shopping is a pleasure" slogan.

[Michael Barfield @mbar62]

Sarasota County reverses course on Hi Hat Ranch land deal. https://t.co/FoZ0XMzcgl

[Michael Barfield @mbar62]

Backroom deal with developer sends huge bill to Sarasota County taxpayers. "The only guarantee for taxpayers on this so-called ‘deal’ is that we’ll be paying millions to sit in traffic,” said Myakka resident Randy Boyd. https://t.co/GVZcu6z6hE @FLCTRGA