The Florida Trident
@floridatrident.bsky.social
Our mission is to produce well-sourced quality reporting that illuminates complex issues, holds government accountable to its citizens, and enhances civic engagement. The Florida Trident is produced by the Florida Center for Government Accountability.
"The co-sponsor of the bill that allows Florida universities to conduct their presidential searches in private says it's being manipulated by bad actors to put favored candidates in power." #DefendDemocracy www.pnj.com/story/news/local...
Sole finalists for university presidents is now the norm. It's not what was intended.
Residents frustrated Manny Diaz Jr., is only finalist for the University of West Florida's top position.
www.pnj.com
November 27, 2025 at 12:37 AM
"The co-sponsor of the bill that allows Florida universities to conduct their presidential searches in private says it's being manipulated by bad actors to put favored candidates in power." #DefendDemocracy www.pnj.com/story/news/local...
A private school in Brooksville should be barred from access to state school vouchers after its operator admitted it wasn’t educating students the state paid it to teach, an administrative judge recommended Wednesday. #DefendDemocracy floridaphoenix.com/2025/11/2...
Judge: Private school accepted state vouchers for students 130 miles away • Florida Phoenix
A private school in Brooksville should be barred from access to state school vouchers after its operator admitted it wasn’t educating students the state paid it to teach, an administrative judge recommended Wednesday. The episode follows release of a state audit into a state budget strain caused by what lawmakers agree are lax accounting practices […]
floridaphoenix.com
November 26, 2025 at 10:22 PM
A private school in Brooksville should be barred from access to state school vouchers after its operator admitted it wasn’t educating students the state paid it to teach, an administrative judge recommended Wednesday. #DefendDemocracy floridaphoenix.com/2025/11/2...
"Voters across every age group and every region of the state are signaling the same message: removing these standards goes too far, puts children at risk, and undermines Florida’s public health. " #DefendDemocracy floridapolitics.com/archives...
Rana Alissa: Florida’s dangerous move to end school vaccine standards
Florida’s proposal ending school vaccine standards threatens children’s safety statewide.
floridapolitics.com
November 25, 2025 at 10:38 PM
"Voters across every age group and every region of the state are signaling the same message: removing these standards goes too far, puts children at risk, and undermines Florida’s public health. " #DefendDemocracy floridapolitics.com/archives...
Pediatricians say that if childhood vaccine mandates are repealed and vaccine uptake plummets, community wide immunity will dissolve, and communicable diseases such as measles, polio and Hib will be free to resurge. #DefendDemocracy floridatrident.org/fl-pediatric...
FL pediatricians recall childhood suffering before vaccines; Ladapo’s plan to strike mandates stalls
Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo wants to strike vaccine mandates in Florida, while pediatricians are fighting to keep them.
floridatrident.org
November 25, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Pediatricians say that if childhood vaccine mandates are repealed and vaccine uptake plummets, community wide immunity will dissolve, and communicable diseases such as measles, polio and Hib will be free to resurge. #DefendDemocracy floridatrident.org/fl-pediatric...
"Check the numbers...they are fictitious. Made-up. Phony. False," says Broward County Democratic County Commissioner Steven Geller, criticizing FL CFO Ingoglia’s claim of the county's $189 million in "wasteful spending" in the past 5 years. #DefendDemocracy floridaphoenix.com/2025/11/23/c...
County leaders get candid in discussing getting ‘DOGEd' by CFO’s office • Florida Phoenix
TAMPA — Two longtime former state lawmakers who now serve in local government don’t think much of the audits of their counties’ spending conducted by Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia’s…
floridaphoenix.com
November 24, 2025 at 11:15 PM
"Check the numbers...they are fictitious. Made-up. Phony. False," says Broward County Democratic County Commissioner Steven Geller, criticizing FL CFO Ingoglia’s claim of the county's $189 million in "wasteful spending" in the past 5 years. #DefendDemocracy floridaphoenix.com/2025/11/23/c...
"Florida Power & Light, the monopoly power company that has long had a stranglehold on state politics, just got permission to raise electricity rates — again." #DefendDemocracy jasongarcia.substack.com/p/florida-ju...
Florida just approved the largest electric rate increase in history. Here's how it happened.
Florida Power & Light won permission last week to raise electricity rates by $7 billion over the next four years. Here's why it's so big, how FPL pulled it off, and who should be held accountable.
jasongarcia.substack.com
November 24, 2025 at 8:25 PM
"Florida Power & Light, the monopoly power company that has long had a stranglehold on state politics, just got permission to raise electricity rates — again." #DefendDemocracy jasongarcia.substack.com/p/florida-ju...
“The house shook like a pirate ship on rough open seas,” recalled Robert Dixon, one of the homeowners affected. “I immediately went out to look at the walls, and I saw cracks.” #DefendDemocracy floridatrident.org/billionaires...
Billionaire’s mining operation is blasting Collier homes with no relief. It may be about to get a whole lot worse.
On Sept. 14, 2023, in the outskirts of Naples, a chain of timed explosions tore through limestone rock on farm land owned by West Palm Beach billionaire Jeff Greene, rattling nearby homes in Golden Gates Estates to their core.
floridatrident.org
November 21, 2025 at 12:00 PM
“The house shook like a pirate ship on rough open seas,” recalled Robert Dixon, one of the homeowners affected. “I immediately went out to look at the walls, and I saw cracks.” #DefendDemocracy floridatrident.org/billionaires...
State Rep. Alex Andrade, the Pensacola Republican who led a probe into the Hope Florida initiative, has filed a sweeping bill that takes aim at tactics used by the DeSantis administration to thwart public inquiries. #DefendDemocracy
Lawmaker who led Hope Florida probe aims to end public records delays
The DeSantis administration has gained a reputation for delaying and ignoring public records requests, and for producing huge cost estimates that tend to discourage folks from following through on …
www.orlandosentinel.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:00 AM
State Rep. Alex Andrade, the Pensacola Republican who led a probe into the Hope Florida initiative, has filed a sweeping bill that takes aim at tactics used by the DeSantis administration to thwart public inquiries. #DefendDemocracy
Favoritism towards Jeffrey Epstein began in a Florida grand jury room, where prosecutors downplayed his crimes. Now, another round of secretive grand jury proceedings may begin in South FL, targeting political figures who have angered Trump. #DefendDemocracy www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/19/e...
Maxwell: Florida grand juries, at root of Epstein rot, may next target Trump foes
Secretive grand jury proceedings in Florida were at the root of the Epstein rot where he was originally given a sweetheart deal. Now there are reports secretive grand juries in Florida may target T…
www.orlandosentinel.com
November 21, 2025 at 12:37 AM
Favoritism towards Jeffrey Epstein began in a Florida grand jury room, where prosecutors downplayed his crimes. Now, another round of secretive grand jury proceedings may begin in South FL, targeting political figures who have angered Trump. #DefendDemocracy www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/19/e...
An audit on the Florida Department of Education's Family Empowerment Scholarship for the 2024-25 school year found a "myriad of accountability challenges," with millions of dollars in overspending #DefendDemocracy www.tallahassee.com/story/news/l...
Florida school voucher audit warns of deepening financial chaos
An audit on the Florida's Family Empowerment Scholarship for the 2024-25 school year found a 'myriad of accountability challenges'
www.tallahassee.com
November 20, 2025 at 10:33 PM
An audit on the Florida Department of Education's Family Empowerment Scholarship for the 2024-25 school year found a "myriad of accountability challenges," with millions of dollars in overspending #DefendDemocracy www.tallahassee.com/story/news/l...
The homestead property tax repeal being considered is "the policy equivalent of removing a load-bearing wall with no structural review and simply assuming the building will absorb the strain." #DefendDemocracy
Jeff Brandes: The architect has no plan — Florida’s $18B tax cut without a blueprint
Florida risks an $18 billion disaster because no one produced real math.
floridapolitics.com
November 19, 2025 at 11:28 PM
The homestead property tax repeal being considered is "the policy equivalent of removing a load-bearing wall with no structural review and simply assuming the building will absorb the strain." #DefendDemocracy
"Over the last few years, Florida has gone from being the Sunshine State to the Political Patronage State." #DefendDemocracy www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/18/m...
Maxwell: $925/hr legal bills, $494,000 per degree. The costs of cronyism at Florida universities
Political cronyism has gotten so extreme and costly in Florida’s university system that FAU is now paying one politically connected lawyer $925 an hour, and New College is spending $494,000 f…
www.orlandosentinel.com
November 19, 2025 at 9:39 PM
"Over the last few years, Florida has gone from being the Sunshine State to the Political Patronage State." #DefendDemocracy www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/18/m...
In small Florida counties, eliminating property taxes could cause a collapse of basic services -- everything from roadwork to fire departments. Read the third article in our Power Play series to learn more. #DefendDemocracy floridatrident.org/for-these-fl...
For these Florida counties, eliminating property taxes would mean 'a dismemberment of vital services'
Power Play: A series of special reports examining the push to reduce or eliminate property taxes in Florida. Local government officials statewide are
floridatrident.org
November 18, 2025 at 6:49 PM
In small Florida counties, eliminating property taxes could cause a collapse of basic services -- everything from roadwork to fire departments. Read the third article in our Power Play series to learn more. #DefendDemocracy floridatrident.org/for-these-fl...
The Mobile Fortify app continues to enable ICE & Border Patrol agents to photograph anyone in public without their consent or ability to refuse. And if the image doesn’t match an immigration record, agents can forcibly gather fingerprints, too. #DefendDemocracy
www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/11/14/i...
www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/11/14/i...
ICE’s chilling surveillance tool hits home here | Editorial
A little-known surveillance tool used by ICE will take your photograph and add it to the agency’s databases for 15 years. Refusal is not an option.
www.sun-sentinel.com
November 17, 2025 at 7:57 PM
The Mobile Fortify app continues to enable ICE & Border Patrol agents to photograph anyone in public without their consent or ability to refuse. And if the image doesn’t match an immigration record, agents can forcibly gather fingerprints, too. #DefendDemocracy
www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/11/14/i...
www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/11/14/i...
Are high property taxes truly a problem that needs fixing? Read the second installment of our Power Play series, investigating the motivations and repercussions of the push to eliminate property taxes. #DefendDemocracy floridatrident.org/property-tax...
Property tax crisis or a solution in search of a problem?
DeSantis says property taxes are a severe burden on Florida homeowners and wants to abolish them, regardless of the potentially devastating effects on local government budgets. But if rising property taxes is a problem that needs fixing, lawmakers have yet to detail how big the problem is.
floridatrident.org
November 12, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Are high property taxes truly a problem that needs fixing? Read the second installment of our Power Play series, investigating the motivations and repercussions of the push to eliminate property taxes. #DefendDemocracy floridatrident.org/property-tax...
“Here we have the man who’s supposed to be defending our law and defending our rights under the law working to narrow that right of access,” [Trident publisher Barbara] Petersen said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” Read more at: www.miamiherald.com/news/politic... #DefendDemocracy
www.miamiherald.com
November 6, 2025 at 3:01 PM
“Here we have the man who’s supposed to be defending our law and defending our rights under the law working to narrow that right of access,” [Trident publisher Barbara] Petersen said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” Read more at: www.miamiherald.com/news/politic... #DefendDemocracy
Election Day was yesterday, but for millions the outcome may have already been decided. Last year we exposed how “ghost” write-in candidates are used to close FL primaries. It’s a legal loophole & a quiet form of disenfranchisement. Read more: floridatrident.org/trident-anal... #DefendDemocracy
Trident Analysis: Nearly two million Florida voters are being disenfranchised by write-in, ghost candidates
About two weeks after Sandra Maddox qualified to run for county commission in Santa Rosa County, a campaign sign for the frontrunner in her own race –
floridatrident.org
November 6, 2025 at 12:12 AM
Election Day was yesterday, but for millions the outcome may have already been decided. Last year we exposed how “ghost” write-in candidates are used to close FL primaries. It’s a legal loophole & a quiet form of disenfranchisement. Read more: floridatrident.org/trident-anal... #DefendDemocracy
"Two almost identical homes in Tampa illustrate the tax disparities created by Save Our Homes. One property owner pays 50 percent more in property taxes. The difference: the higher taxed home was purchased last year while the other 30 years ago. " #DefendDemocracy floridatrident.org/save-our-hom...
Save Our Homes makes property tax reform less urgent for some residents
There is talk in Tallahassee of giving new help to homestead property owners, more than 30 years after Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment to restrict increases in real estate tax assessments on owner-occupied residences.
floridatrident.org
November 5, 2025 at 12:01 PM
"Two almost identical homes in Tampa illustrate the tax disparities created by Save Our Homes. One property owner pays 50 percent more in property taxes. The difference: the higher taxed home was purchased last year while the other 30 years ago. " #DefendDemocracy floridatrident.org/save-our-hom...
Today we're kicking off FLCGA’s #NewsMatch campaign! Donate by 12/31 and your gift will be DOUBLED. There’s never been a more critical time to stand up for nonprofit newsrooms – please support FLCGA & the Florida Trident today: www.flcga.org/donate #DefendDemocracy #TeamTrident
November 3, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Today we're kicking off FLCGA’s #NewsMatch campaign! Donate by 12/31 and your gift will be DOUBLED. There’s never been a more critical time to stand up for nonprofit newsrooms – please support FLCGA & the Florida Trident today: www.flcga.org/donate #DefendDemocracy #TeamTrident
Editorial: Florida CFO’s overspending claims ignore necessity of local rule #DefendDemocracy
Editorial: Florida CFO’s overspending claims ignore necessity of local rule
Blaise Ingoglia’s fuzzy math threatens local governance, especially in progressive areas like Orange County. Municipalities must join the battle to avoid state control.
www.orlandosentinel.com
November 3, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Editorial: Florida CFO’s overspending claims ignore necessity of local rule #DefendDemocracy
"Uthmeier’s stint at the private practice...raises ethical and legal questions about the Republican attorney now running for the job of Florida’s top prosecutor." #DefendDemocracy
Uthmeier’s brief tenure at GrayRobinson raises potential ethical issues trib.al/YEiXnqU
Uthmeier’s brief tenure at GrayRobinson raises potential ethical issues
For five months, Attorney General James Uthmeier ran Gov. DeSantis’ presidential campaign while also working for the high-powered GrayRobinson law firm, which lobbies the state. The two jobs …
trib.al
November 3, 2025 at 6:32 PM
"Uthmeier’s stint at the private practice...raises ethical and legal questions about the Republican attorney now running for the job of Florida’s top prosecutor." #DefendDemocracy
"Sarasota County Schools has drawn up a sweeping plan to shrink its empty classroom space — and, in the process, try to shield itself from a new state law that allows charter schools to move into underused public campuses." #DefendDemocracy suncoastsearchlight.org/sarasota-sch...
Sarasota Schools drafted a plan to prevent ‘Schools of Hope’ takeovers. Here’s what’s in it. - Suncoast Searchlight
Sarasota County Schools has drawn up a sweeping plan to shrink its empty classroom space — and, in the process, try to shield itself from a new state law that allows charter schools to move into…
suncoastsearchlight.org
November 2, 2025 at 1:34 AM
"Sarasota County Schools has drawn up a sweeping plan to shrink its empty classroom space — and, in the process, try to shield itself from a new state law that allows charter schools to move into underused public campuses." #DefendDemocracy suncoastsearchlight.org/sarasota-sch...
Ron DeSantis and Florida Cabinet members voted to give a campaign donor $83 million for 4 acres of barren land in the most recent case, where records show lobbyists wrote legislation that compliant politicians then passed. #DefendDemocracy
Maxwell: In Florida, lobbyists write the bills for puppet politicians trib.al/cAyScSX
Maxwell: In Florida, lobbyists write the bills for puppet politicians
Maxwell: Ron DeSantis and Florida Cabinet members voted to give a campaign donor $83 million for 4 acres of barren land in the most recent case where records show lobbyists wrote legislation that c…
trib.al
November 1, 2025 at 10:28 PM
Ron DeSantis and Florida Cabinet members voted to give a campaign donor $83 million for 4 acres of barren land in the most recent case, where records show lobbyists wrote legislation that compliant politicians then passed. #DefendDemocracy
Under increased scrutiny, data shows developers have long dominated makeup of Florida’s wildlife commission www.cltampa.com/news/data-sh...
Under increased scrutiny, data shows developers have long dominated makeup of Florida’s wildlife commission
Senate confirmation records reveal that Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation commissioners overwhelmingly come from real estate and development, the most heavily represented category in the commissi...
www.cltampa.com
October 27, 2025 at 11:17 PM
The former lobbying firm of Richard Corcoran promised “new synergies” when he was named president of New College. Now the firm is snapping up public university contracts. #DefendDemocracy floridatrident.org/revolving-do...
Revolving Door 101: Corcoran’s former firm is racking up contracts with state universities – including his own
After Richard Corcoran left his role as Florida’s education commissioner in 2022, he joined the lobbying firm Continental Strategy LLC, where he began
floridatrident.org
October 24, 2025 at 4:19 PM
The former lobbying firm of Richard Corcoran promised “new synergies” when he was named president of New College. Now the firm is snapping up public university contracts. #DefendDemocracy floridatrident.org/revolving-do...