How DeSantis taught Bragg to weaponize prosecutions
It is easy to forget how Florida’s DeSantis weaponized his legislature and police.
In all the moaning and groaning over the Trump inditement, it is easy to forget how Florida’s DeSantis weaponized his legislature and police. He did so in order to prosecute flimsy charges of vote fraud against marginalize poor ex-felons. Most were told by various election officials they could vote in 2020.
Police raids, handcuffs and reportedly helicopters were used. All of these fascist police state acts were totally unnecessary, because summonses could have been issued. But no, DeSantis needed to hold a grandstanding press conference tailored for the police state circus that is his Florida. Look at the videos of the ugly conference to get the feel of the vindictiveness that is this governor.
Yes Virginia, there were two systems of justice… until Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg decided there should be one.
The story is long and complicated but boils down to this: the citizens of Florida voted in a referendum to restore voting rights to some ex-felons (since there are about 900 thousand of them). The authoritarian state style legislature under DeSantis decided they knew better and invented all sorts of roadblocks. That were so ill-defined they ensured no one could follow the rules. Of course the right-wing Supreme Court was horrified that Florida might vote blue sanctioned this voter repression trick.
Ask Douglas Oliver, David Christopher Dana, Eugene Suggs, Jerry Lee Foster and 16 others if they deserved the arrests, humiliation and absurd prosecutions. Funny how hysterical GOP bigwigs are reacting when the deep state goes after con man Trump but how silent or even gleeful they are when it goes after helpless citizens. Perhaps Bragg should have a helicopter overhead to increase the drama.
So we can all thank DeSantis for showing how a state official can make a difference by using the threat of a jail cell to grandstand for national prominence. Alvin Bragg for president?
Meanwhile, I will just luxuriate in the hypocrisy of the Florida GOP angered at Trump’s arrest but praiseful of the politicized arrest of their own citizens. For just one example, here is Freddy Grey’s hysteria about weaponizing the justice system. Funny, no mention of DeSantis and Florida.
Rank hypocrites, total liars, craven to the elites.
On the mark - and we’ll said!