Edited by: TJVNews.com
Seems like yet another political scandal has erupted and this time it is taking place in Florida. Challenging Ron DeSantis (the popular governor of the Sunshine State) in the 2022 gubernatorial race is the state’s commissioner of agriculture, Nikki Fried.
On Wednesday, Tallahassee Reports, said on its web site that they had uncovered information that Fried, 43, recently amended her 2018 financial disclosure to include previously unreported income. According to a Newsweek report, the web site said that “Fried filed an amendment on May 28, 2021, that showed she had previously unreported income from 2018 in the amount of $351,480 from a government consulting firm named Igniting Florida, LLC.”
In January of 2020, Fried did report part of the income she made from Igniting Florida as she filed an amendment which declared that $72,000 should have been included in her 2018 financial disclosure. On May 28th, she then updated the amount to $351,480 in the paperwork she handed in to the Florida Commission on Ethics, as was reported by Newsweek.
The paperwork also indicated that Fried is the sole owner of Igniting Florida which is a consulting business. The company was disbanded by Fried in December of 2018.
The Miami Herald reported that the major source of the company’s revenue came from San Felasco Nursery, a dispensary for medical marijuana. In 2018, San Felasco Nursery was purchased by Harvey Health & Recreation which describes itself as “a vertically integrated cannabis company.”
As of 2020, Fried still retains a financial interest in Harvest Health, according to her financial disclosure form for that year. Newsweek also reported that Fried’s fiancé, Jake Bergmann owns a marijuana related business venture with Ronald Fried, Nikki’s father as well as Hali Utstein, the wife of David Silvers, a state representative in Florida.
Newsweek also reported that Fried previously had a friendship with Rep Matt Gaetz of Florida who is now embroiled in a scandal concerning allegations that he may have been sexually involved with a 17-year old girl. Fried had been a cannabis lobbyist in Florida and Gaetz, a conservative had advocated for a pro-marijuana policy. Fried has since distanced herself from Gaetz.
Also throwing their hat in the ring for the top job in Tallahassee is Democratic Rep. Charlie Crist and Newsweek reported that Annette Taddeo, a Democratic State Senator in Miami is also considering a run for the state house.
Fried has launched criticisms of DeSantis’ performance during the pandemic and has called for an FBI probe into the distribution of coronavirus vaccines to donors of DeSantis’ political committee, according to the Newsweek report.
