Corcoran Ditches Florida in the Middle of Session to Court Right-Wing Billionaires

In a Highly Unusual Move, Corrupt Corcoran Ditches Florida in the Middle of Session to Court Right-Wing Billionaires in Vegas

Tallahassee, FL. — This morning, the Tampa Bay Times reported that House Speaker Richard Corcoran is leaving Florida in the middle of the legislative session to fly to Las Vegas for a weekend with the Republican Jewish Coalition where some of the GOP’s biggest billionaire donors, including DeSantis backer Sheldon Adelson, may be in attendance.

The eyebrow-raising trip is especially unusual for a sitting Speaker of the House in the middle of session. Florida legislators are banned from fundraising during the legislative session and Corcoran’s junket seems to violate at least the spirit of that law. 

The trip is also a blatant effort to undercut Congressman Ron DeSantis’ support from national Republicans and the party’s biggest donors. Corcoran’s entry “on potential rival Ron DeSantis’ turf” is just the latest sign that the House Speaker plans on ceding no ground on the far right. He’s already put out a widely condemned anti-immigrant ad and earned the support of alt-right provocateur Roger Stone. Corcoran’s trip also raises the prospect of the Republican primary descending into a long, expensive civil war in which all three candidates playing to the GOP’s far right base, and jeopardizing their ability to make a general election pivot.

“In a highly unethical move, Richard Corcoran is ditching Florida right in the middle of session to huddle with big billionaire donors. It’s just the latest sign that Corcoran is more interested in exploiting the speakership to advance himself than actually helping the people of Florida,” said FDP spokesperson Kevin Donohoe. “What’s clear is that right now, the Republican primary has become a brutal contest to win the support of right-wing billionaires.”