Politics

Last Call for 1.5.26 – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida

Published

1 week ago

January 5, 2026

May Greene

Last Call – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.

First Shot

Former Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence CEO Tiffany Carr has agreed to a negotiated plea that would spare her prison time in exchange for cooperation with state prosecutors, including testifying against a co-defendant later this month.

Carr and former FCADV Chief Financial Officer Patricia Duarte, the co-defendant, were accused of submitting false quarterly reports, billing the state for vacant positions and charging for services that were never provided.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement says the money was then used to fund excessive bonuses and leave payouts, including $3.4 million to Carr and $291,000 for Duarte.

The plea comes five years after Florida ended its contract with FCADV, a nonprofit established by the state and tasked with distributing state and federal grants to Florida’s 42 domestic violence shelters. Gov. Ron DeSantis dissolved the organization in a 2021 executive order.

Under the agreement, Carr will be sentenced to 10 years of probation with the Florida Department of Corrections after entering a plea of no contest to charges of organized fraud involving $50,000 or more and official misconduct, according to court records filed in Leon County Circuit Court.

The deal requires Carr to provide “full and truthful cooperation” with investigators and prosecutors, including testifying against any accomplices identified through the investigation. Carr is expected to testify against Duarte in proceedings scheduled for later this month.

If Carr complies with the terms of the agreement, prosecutors will request probation rather than prison at sentencing. Court records show she faced a potential maximum sentence of up to 35 years if convicted at trial.

As part of the plea, Carr must pay about $260,000 to the state, including a $100,000 fine, $155,264 to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for investigation costs, and $4,741 to cover prosecution costs.

Under the agreement, Carr may not work for or hold a leadership role at any nonprofit organization during her probation. It also prohibits her from contacting Duarte unless directed by the court or prosecutors.

Evening Reads

—”The ‘FAFO’ presidency” via Chris Cillizza of So What?

—”In Venezuela operation, Marco Rubio is front and center” via Damian Paletta of The Wall Street Journal

—”Donald Trump revives an old vision of American power, with global implications” via Michael Birnbaum of The Washington Post

—”After Venezuela, Trump offers hints about what could be next” via David E. Sanger of The New York Times

—”Trump wants Venezuela’s oil. Getting it might not be so simple” via Molly Taft of WIRED

—”Did Trump really invade Venezuela for oil?” via Eric Levitz of Vox

—”The Venezuelan opposition’s desperate gamble” via Gisela Salim-Peyer of The Atlantic

—”Does Trump have a plan for Venezuela?” via Mac William Bishop of Rolling Stone

—“Venezuela raid enriches MAGA billionaire” via Judd Legum of Popular Information

—”In Miami-Dade, Republicans say democracy is coming to Venezuela — but not immediately” via Mitch Perry of the Florida Phoenix

Quote of the Day

“President Trump gave diplomacy a chance. He offered Maduro multiple off-ramps. … Maduro refused to take them.”

— U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz, on Nicolás Maduro’s arrest.

Put it on the Tab

Look to your left, then look to your right. If you see one of these people at your happy hour haunt, flag down the bartender and put one of these on your tab. Recipes included, just in case the Cocktail Codex fell into the well.

Is it just us, or does it seem like U.S. Sen. Rick Scott is ordering a Cuba Libre?

If each Operation Tidal Wave arrest added a dollar to the bar tab, Gov. Ron DeSantis would be sipping Macallan 72.

Bobby Olszewski is enjoying a Grand Slam after publishing a new leadership book that sports endorsements from three MLB stars.

Breakthrough Insights

Tune In

Quiet night of sports offers Miami fans chance to relive big win

While there are no games involving Florida-based teams tonight, you can rewatch the Miami Hurricanes’ Cotton Bowl matchup against the Ohio State Buckeyes (7 p.m. ET, ACC Network).

Spoiler alert! Miami beat Ohio State 24-14 on New Year’s Eve behind an impressive defensive performance from the Hurricanes. The Canes sacked Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin five times and picked off a pair of passes from the Heisman Trophy finalists.

With the win, Miami advances to the national semifinals of the College Football Playoff on Thursday, where it will face Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl. Ole Miss advanced by knocking off Georgia in the quarterfinals.

Miami will want to see a more proficient passing game against Ole Miss. The Rebels allowed Georgia to score 34 points (although one Bulldog touchdown was a defensive score). Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck completed 19 of 26 passes but for only 138 yards in the win.

In the other semifinal, top-seeded Indiana will face fifth-seeded Oregon. Indiana devastated Alabama in a 38-2 victory in the Rose Bowl while Oregon advanced with an impressive 23-0 shutout of Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl. The national championship will be decided on Jan. 19 in Miami Gardens at Hard Rock Stadium between this week’s winners.

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Last Call is published by Peter Schorsch, assembled and edited by Phil Ammann and Drew Wilson, with contributions from the staff of Florida Politics.

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Politics

House passes Laurel Lee legislation criminalizing ‘sextortion’

Published

28 minutes ago

January 12, 2026

May Greene

It cleared the chamber on a voice vote with no objections.

The digital age has brought with it new ways to exploit children for sexual reasons. But U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee hopes legislation passed by the House on Monday night will combat the trend of “sextortion.”

The Thonotosassa Republican presented the Combating Online Predators (COP) Act (HR 6719) on the House floor Monday, where it cleared the chamber on a voice vote with no objections.

“The rise of sextortion against our nation’s children is troubling,” Lee said. “Sextortion is a form of exploitation that occurs when someone threatens to distribute another person’s private, sensitive material unless that person complies with demands for additional sexual content, sexual favors or money. Incidents of sextortion have increased dramatically in recent years.”

The legislation now goes to the Senate. If passed and signed, it will for the first time explicitly criminalize threats to distribute child sex abuse materials.

“Sextortion is a devastating crime that preys on fear, shame, and vulnerability — especially among children,” Lee said when she introduced the bill.

“When predators threaten to distribute explicit images of minors, the harm is real and often irreversible. Congress has a duty to ensure our laws keep pace with the tactics used by online predators, and this legislation closes a critical gap to protect children and deliver justice for victims.”

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 2023 reported a major increase in sextortion instances, with 26,718 reported to the organization that year compared to 10,731 in 2022. The FBI said the threat of sextortion has been particularly troubling with teenage boys.

The issue was highlighted last year after the death by suicide of West Virginia teen Bryce Tate. Investigators learned that hours before his death, he was threatened with the release of intimate images.

While the actual distribution of such images is a federal crime, threats to distribute are not covered under federal law, which has resulted in the dodging of changes for many attempted blackmailers, according to Lee’s office.

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Politics

Senate panel advances bill to strengthen Tax Collector oversight of commercial driving schools

Published

59 minutes ago

January 12, 2026

May Greene

‘We want to make sure that when they’re out on the road, they’re not going to be a menace to society.’

A proposal meant to crack down on fraudulent commercial driver’s license activity at DMV sites zipped through its first Senate committee with unanimous support.

Members of the Senate Transportation Committee advanced the measure (SB 584) by Miami Springs Republican Sen. Bryan Ávila, who said there’s a rising trend in Miami-Dade of people lying about being licensed to drive commercial vehicles.

Ávila said Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez approached him about the problem, which could spread to other parts of the state, if it hasn’t already.

“The goal here, Senators, is to protect the integrity of driver licensing processes, deter fraud and support compliant driving schools without altering curriculum testing standards or a statewide eligibility criteria,” he said.

“This is an effort to make sure we can cover all our bases through cooperation and through collaboration with our Tax Collector.”

If approved, the legislation would authorize the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to formally delegate enforcement authority over commercial driving schools to county Tax Collectors through interagency agreements.

Under those agreements, Tax Collectors could bar driving school operators from Tax Collector Offices, investigate fraud or practices undermining license integrity, require license verification and inspect driving school premises for legal compliance

“We want to make sure that when they’re out on the road, they’re not going to be a menace to society,” Ávila previously told Florida Politics while discussing his 2026 legislative priorities. “We want everyone that is driving any truck or vehicle on our roadways to be absolutely qualified and licensed to be driving.”

Barney Bishop of the Florida Smart Justice Alliance and Carlos San Jose of Corcoran Partners signaled support for the measure, which will next go to the Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development.

A House twin of the bill (HB 953) by Miami Republican Rep. Omar Blanco awaits committee referrals.

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Politics

Jerry Demings trails David Jolly in fundraising out of the gate

Published

1 hour ago

January 12, 2026

May Greene

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings’ fundraising is lagging behind U.S. Rep. David Jolly’s in the race for the Democratic Primary for Governor.

Demings raised about $225,000 in addition to $104,000 from his political committee Moving Florida Forward, campaign finance reports show.

The latest campaign fundraising report covers the fourth quarter of 2025.

In comparison to Demings’ $330,000, Jolly brought in more than $1 million in the final three months of 2025.

Jolly raised about $649,000 in addition to his political committee Florida 2026 collecting about $412,000, records showed.

Demings officially jumped into the race Nov. 6, a timing he acknowledged as a handicap during the start of the holiday season.

“Despite those challenges, we raised a respectable $330,000. I look forward to expanding our fundraising and support during the first quarter of the year and thereafter,” Demings said in a statement, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Demings said he was “excited about the momentum we’ve achieved.”

Whoever wins the Democratic nod faces a long fight against the better-funded Republicans.

U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, who is leading Republicans in polls, raised $13.1 million raised during the fourth quarter of the year between his campaign account and the Friends of Byron Donalds political committee. Donalds amassed a war chest of more than $45 million in 2025.

Demings, the former Orange County Sheriff and Orlando City Police Chief, has led Orange County government since he won election in 2018.

“This is not a right or left moment, but a right or wrong moment in our history. The power of the people is greater than the people in power,” Demings said during his campaign launch in November in Orlando. “We’re tired of toxic and divisive politics. If you vote for me, it’s a vote for a new style of leadership. It’s a vote for change. It’s a vote for democracy.”

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