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The Senate is again declining to take up two of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Ethics Commission appointees, including Moms for Liberty co-founder Tina Descovich.
Katherine Betta, a Senate spokesperson, confirmed to Florida Politics that the chamber will not hold a confirmation vote for either Descovich or Figgers Communications CEO Freddie Figgers.
In both cases, this marks the second year the Senate declined to consider the nominees. That means neither can be reappointed and must leave their posts at the end of Session.
DeSantis reappointed Descovich in February, despite the Senate declining to confirm her last year. At that time, then-Senate President Kathleen Passidomo cited a citizen complaint that “politicized” the process. The complaint, by Melbourne resident Robert Burns, alleged Descovich was a paid lobbyist for Moms for Liberty.
Passidomo now chairs the Senate Rules Committee, which advanced Descovich’s nomination this year without inviting her for questioning.
But the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee declined to consider either Descovich or Figgers, according to Betta, a spokesperson for Senate President Ben Albritton’s Office.
That Senate committee is chaired by Sen. Don Gaetz, a Crestview Republican and another former Senate President. Gaetz had promised to invite Descovich to address questions from his committee.
Descovich had been unanimously elected as Vice Chair of the Ethics Commission. But her involvement in the politically active Moms for Liberty has made her a subject of public controversy.
Figgers, who was first appointed to the Ethics Commission in 2023, has also drawn criticism. A former member of the Enterprise Florida Board of Directors, he failed to properly submit a 2021 financial disclosure, which attracted a $1,500 fine.
The Ethics Commission last year waived that fine in a 4-1 vote, as reported by the Columbia County Observer. He abstained from that vote.
The Senate has nixed a number of nominees from DeSantis this year.
The Ethics and Elections Committee voted down on Adam Kissel, an appointee to the University of West Florida Board of Trustees. Two other appointees to that Board withdrew ahead of confirmation hearings expected to be contentious.
Joel Rudman, an appointee to the Pensacola State College Board, was rejected by the Senate Higher Education Appropriations Committee and withdrew before an Ethics and Elections Committee hearing.
Ethics and Elections members also declined to take up appointments of Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Shevaun Harris or Department of Children and Families Secretary Taylor Hatch.
–Jacob Ogles, Florida Politics
