A donor gifted Florida Governor Ron DeSantis a golf simulator for the governor’s house. Let’s go through the news and learn about the donor who is supposed to be a close friend of the governor.
Donor Lent DeSantis Golf Simulator For Governor’s Mansion: Report
As per the news, Mori Hosseini, the chairperson of the University of Florida board of trustees, lent a golf simulator system to DeSantis for the governor’s mansion gym, and it is only accessible to the governor and his family.
The governor’s spokesman, Redfern, declared that the donation of the simulator was approved by legal counsel as directed, and it would be used by the first day and by guests.
In a statement, Redfern said,” As with all donations, it was accepted and coordinated by staff and approved by legal counsel. Donations to the residence and grounds have been received over many administrations. It will remain in the state’s possession for first families, their guests, and staff now.”
As the news gained media attention, several reporters reached out to the wealthy donor to record his comment. According to one of the sources, Hosseini said that the simulator was provided to the residence gym for the use of the family, guests, or staff as things have been in the past during this and subsequent administration.
The donor is a close political supporter of the governor, and according to the information of public campaign finance records, Hosseini has donated over $400,000 to DeSantis to support his political operations over the years through his company ICI Homes.
The Florida governor appointed Hosseini to the University of Florida Board of Trustees, where he has assisted the governor in building the state’s flagship university in line with his conservative vision for higher education.
Some earlier investigations also revealed that Hosseini allowed DeSantis and his wife to use his private jet a dozen times.
Although state law mandates elected officials to disclose and report gifts valued at over $100, DeSantis has reportedly not disclosed the donation to the Florida Ethics Commission. The models of the simulator range between $27,000 to $70,000.
However, the golf simulator was considered a loan given to the governor’s mansion, which seems to be overseen by the state agency.
As such, the huge donation may cause ethical concerns for DeSantis as he is a 2024 presidential candidate. The Florida governor follows former President Donald Trump, leading the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
The recent polls showed DeSantis picked up about 23% support compared to his previous polling percentage.
If any ethical investigation occurs, it will focus on whether the golf system is categorized as a personal gift, not permitted, or a gift for the mansion and not the governor, which is permissible.
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