DeSantis' Den of Deplorables

Since last week's post examining DeSantis hatchet-man and my old buddy, Larry Keefe, one of the Governor's buddies in the legislature, State Rep. Joe Harding, the intellectual firepower behind Florida's “Don’t Say Gay” law, was indicted for COVID relief fraud and quickly resigned from office. 

Until the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida (Keefe's job, before getting canned by Biden) filed charges against him earlier this week, few outside Tallahassee knew who Harding was. Few will remember next week. Just another milquetoast, if hateful, white guy in the Ron DeSantis Republican machine. Tallahassee is literally full of them. 

So, this week let's take a look at some of these mean, spiteful, little agents of DeSantis' agenda, the convicts, congressmen, operatives, operators and grifters – one of whom died under mysterious circumstances just yesterday - who have surrounded Ron as he's gone from a pure Trump simp to America's Next Top Fascist. 

Now Former Rep. Joe Harding 

First, the man making headlines this week. A high school graduate and lawn care entrepreneur turned Florida House backbencher, Harding was indicted on six counts this Wednesday, including wire fraud and money laundering. The U.S. government says that Harding lied to the SBA to secure over $150,000 in COVID relief loans for businesses that did not, in fact, exist.

While he was falsifying bank statements and defrauding the federal government, Harding was also serving as a frontline lieutenant in DeSantis' "where woke goes to die" culture wars of earlier this year, introducing the controversial "don't say gay" legislation that is now Florida law.   

Cong. Matt Gaetz

Matt Gaetz has been by DeSantis’ side since they served in Congress together and is largely credited with delivering the Trump endorsement almost singlehandedly won DeSantis the Republican primary for Governor in 2018. Gaetz, who still faces (although it’s seeming less likely) possible federal indictment himself for underage sex trafficking, has been one of the most influential players in DeSantis’ orbit and his influence continues to be felt even as his visibility has diminished as a result of scandal and 2024 loyalties. Gaetz led the DeSantis transition team in 2018, and has helped install loyalists like his former law partner and mentor, Larry Keefe, and his friend, Halsey Beshears, in the administration. 

Former Rep. Halsey Beshears

One of Gaetz’s party buddies from the Florida House, Beshears faces the same cloud of federal investigation as Gaetz, stemming from an all-expenses paid trip the two took to the Bahamas – while serving in the Florida House – with a campaign donor and a handful of escorts. DeSantis of course tapped Beshears to be the head of Business and Professional Regulation in Florida, despite a record in the Florida House that primarily consisted of being Gaetz’ wingman. Beshears’ most notable legislative accomplishment was rigging the rules for medical marijuana in Florida so that his family could get a (very lucrative) license. 

Joel Greenberg

You can’t mention the lecherous frat boys surrounding DeSantis without a nod to Joel Greenberg, the former Seminole County Tax collector who just got 11 years in federal prison for using taxpayer funds to pay for sex with underage girls – at least one of whom he’s told federal investigators that he witnessed Matt Gaetz having sex with. Lucky for him, DeSantis has more distance from Greenberg than he does Gaetz and Beshears, but if either of those two get indicted it will likely be because of Greenberg’s cooperation. 

Brian Ballard

For autocrats like Vladmir Putin and Ron DeSantis to thrive, they require the assent of the ruling elite – and in Tallahassee, there is no figure more closely resembling an oligarch than Brian Ballard. DeSantis knew this, and despite being elected as an outsider to Republican power circles, he quickly brought power lobbyist Ballard into the fold, making him a chair of his first inaugural committee. Adrian Lukis, the son of one of Ballard’s longtime partners, served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Chief of Staff to the governor, and is now a partner at his firm. Ballard Partners’ ranks is filled with operatives and officials who have gone in and out of the DeSantis administration. 

Lev Parnas

The Ukrainian businessman and Giuliani drinking buddy who was sentenced to nearly two years in prison for campaign finance violations, was an early and active DeSantis supporter. While being strung along by Giuliani on a quest for influence in Republican circles, Parnas and his associates donated $50,000 to DeSantis political committees and met personally with Ron a half a dozen times. DeSantis to this day has dodged any and all questions about their relationship. 

Larry Keefe

Check out last week’s post for a deep dive into Matt Gaetz’s mentor, and DeSantis’ Michael Clayton, Larry Keefe. Less than two years out from serving as a top federal prosecutor, Keefe is responsible for the politically motivated removal of a Florida State Attorney, as well as the multistate human trafficking operation that kidnapped Venezuelan migrants from Texas and shipped them to the Massachusetts. 

Christina Pushaw

While the only one on the list today who’s not a white man, Christina Pushaw exemplifies the sort of dog-like obedience and aggression that DeSantis expects from a subordinate, and the body politic. Pushaw was plucked out of nowhere to be Desantis’ co-governor and mouthpiece to troll, gaslight and attack anyone who stood in his way. She left the governor’s office to work for his campaign and is adept at sicking her fascist Twitter trolls on anyone who criticizes DeSantis. However, she has a lot to learn about the law having been recently busted for failing to register as a foreign agent.