>> FLORIDA’S ONLY STATEWIDE ELECTED DEMOCRAT IS NOW RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR, AGRICULTURE
COMMISSIONER NIKKI FRIED MADE IT
OFFICIAL THIS WEEK.
>> ALTHOUGH SHE HAS BEEN HINTING
AT IT FOR MONTHS, SHE IS A
CONSTANT AND RELENTLESS CRITIC
OF GOVERNOR DE SANTI WHOM SHE IS
RUNNING TO UNSEAT.
BUT SHE HAS TO WIN THE
DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY FIRST LIKELY
AGAINST CONGRESS MNG CHARLIE
COUNTRIESth AND NOW
CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR NIKKI
FRIED IS WITH US LIVE.
HI, COMMISSIONER.
CAN WE CALL YOU NIKKI.
>> COMITIONZER, GOOD MORNING, OR
GOOD AFTERNOON NOW, GREAT TO
HAVE YOU WITH US IS.
WE’LL GET TO THE REASONS WHY YOU
ARE RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR JUST IN
A MINUTE.
FIRST I HAVE TO ASK YOU, FOUR
DAYS BEFORE YOUR ANNOUNCEMENT ON
TUESDAY, YOU AMENDED YOUR
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORM AND
SAID OH HEY, I FORGOT TO LIST
351,000 DOLLARS I EARNED LAST
YEAR AS A MEDICAL MARIJUANA
LOBBYIST.
IT SEEMS LIKE KIND OF AN OOPS
MOMENT, WHY DIDN’T YOU REPORT
THAT EARLIER?
>> NO, IT WAS AN OOPS MOMENT IT
WAS A CLERICAL MISTAKE.
WHAT BASICALLY WHAT HAPPENED
WHEN I DECLARED IN 2018 I HAD
ONLY REPORTED MY SALARY UP TO
THAT POINT.
AND SO AS WE ARE WERE GOING BACK
THROUGH MY COMMUNITIES GETTING
READY FOR FILING, WE REALIZED
THAT MY ATTORNEYS THAT WE WERE
SUPPOSED TO HAVE REPORTED MY
WHOLE 2017, NOT JUST INCOME BUT
APPROXIMATE MY EXPENDITURES AS
WELL AS REIMBURSEMENTS FROM
CLIENTS.
SO WE WERE BEING TRANSPARENT
WHICH IS KIND OF IRONIC
CONSIDERING THAT NEITHER TRUMP
NOR DESANTIS HAS EVER DONE THAT,
BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE
WERE TRANSPARENT AND WENT BACK
THROUGH AND MADE SURE WE ARE
MADE THOSE CHANGES.
BUT ALL OF THOSE CHAPPINGS
REFLECT EVEN THINGS THAT I HAVE
BEEN REPORTING THAT I HAD TO
REPORT AS A LOBBYIST.
THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN PUBLIC IT
WAS GOING THROUGH AND MAWKING
SURE IT WAS ACCURATE AS FAR AS
GROSS INCOME VERSUS THE SALARY
THAT I HAD REPORTED FOR 2018.
>> SO DONE AND EXPLAINED.
HOWEVER, THIS IS NOW THE SUBJECT
OF AN ETHICS COMPLAINT FILED
THIS WEEK.
AND ADDRESS IF YOU WOULD, I MEAN
THINGSES LIKE THIS, REALLY GIVE
OPPOSITION A CHANCE TO ATTACK.
>> OF DCH DCH OF COURSE.
AGAIN IT IS IRONIC THAT THEY ARE
GOING ON THIS TWICH HUNT AGAINST
ME AND MY PRIOR COMPANY
CONSIDERING THAT THIS WAS DONE
24 HOURS AFTER DESANTIS HAD
TAKEN $100,000 LIKELY ILLEGAL
CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION.
AND NOW THEY WANT TO GO AFTER
THIS.
FOR THING-- USING THEIR POWER
BOTH ON POLITICAL FRONTS AND
STATE RESOURCES FOR THIS
WITCH-HUNT.
AGAIN I WAS TRYING TO BE AS OPEN
AND HONEST, MADE A MISTAKE, THAT
IS HUMILITY AND TRANSPARENCY
THAT WE DON’T SEE WITH THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY, I HAVE DONE
NOTHING WRONG. AND THIS IS THE
KIND OF INFORMATION THAT WE’RE
GOING TO-- MISINFORMATION THAT
WE WILL SEE FOR THE NEXT 18
MONTH SWI UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE
THE PEOPLE OF OUR STATE DESERVE
SO MUCH BETTER THAN THIS
BICKERING BACK AND FORTH.
NGD USING POWER.
BUT I’M OUT HERE TO BREAK THE
SYSTEM AND THEY DON’T LIKE WHAT
I HAVE TO STAY AND THEY KNOW WE
WILL WIN IN 202-- 2022.
>> I DON’T WANT TO LET THAT GO,
ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION
CHARGE, GOVERNOR IS NOT HERE,
YOU CAN SPECIFY THAT.
>> 100 PERCENT.
SO HE RECEIVED A CAMPAIGN
CONTRIBUTION $100,000 CHECK FROM
A SHADOW MONEY, SO THERES HAVE V
BEEN ALLEGATIONS THAT THIS WAS
AN ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN
CONTRIBUTION, WE DON’T KNOW
WHERE THIS MONEY IS COMING FROM.
THIS INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTION HAS
BEEN FLAGGED IN PREVIOUS YEARS.
SO AGAIN, THEIR CAMPAIGN IS IN
CHAOS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT
TO DO WITH THIS.
BUT THIS IS AGAIN PART OF THEIR
GAME BOOK.
THEY TAKE DARK MONEY, LOOK WHAT
HAPPENED IN THE MIAMI RACES.
DARK MONEY ON GHOST CANDIDATES
AND THEY DON’T WANT TO ADDRESS
THAT IN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION,
INSTEAD THEY VOTE ON VOTER
SUPPRESSION BILLS.
THERE WAS AN ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN
CONTRIBUTION THAT WE SAW.
WE ARE CERTAINLY WAITING FOR
THEIR ETHICS COMMITTEE ON A
NATIONAL FRONT TO LOOK INTO IT
IT SO FOR EVERYTHING WE HAVE
SEEN THIS IS A POTENTIAL AND
ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION.
>> THAT DARK MONEY IS COMPLETELY
LEGAL IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
>> LET’S GET TO YOUR CANDIDACY,
IT IS THE BIG NEWSES POLITICALLY
I THINK OF THE WEEK.
YOU PUT OUT A VIDEO ANNOUNCING
YOUR CANDIDACY.
YOU ALSO PUT OUT AN INTERESTING
TWEET.
I WANT TO PUT IT IT UP ON THE
SCREEN HERE.
PEOPLE CAN SEE WHAT YOU SAID
BECAUSE WHAT YOU SAID WAS IT ST
TIME TO BREAK, HERE WE GO.
IT’S TIME TO BREAK THE RIGGED
CORRUPT SYSTEM IN FLORIDA.
THAT’S WHY I AM RUNNING FOR
GOVERNOR.
WOW, THAT IS SOME LOADED
LANGUAGE.
WHAT IS RIGGED AND CORRUPT THAT
YOU ARE REFERRING TO?
>> EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING.
IT STARTS OFF WITH HOW MANY
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS CAN WE
THE PEOPLE VOTE FOR IN THE LAST
20 PLUS YEARS.
WHETHER IT IT WAS FOR THE
ENVIRONMENT, FOR
THE-- ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIENCE
CONSERVATION TO MEDICAL
MARIJUANA, TO CLASS SIZE, TO
LOTTERY, TO THE BULLET TRAIN.
TO RESTORATION OF CIVIL RIGHTS.
AND EVERY SINGLE TIME THAT THE
PEOPLE VOTE IT GETS UP TO
TALLAHASSEE AND THE SPECIAL
INTERESTS TAKE OVER AND
DISMANTLE THAT.
LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED HAST YEAR
WITH THE UNEMPLOYMENT SYSTEM.
THIS IS A SYSTEM THAT WAS
DESIGNED BY THE REPUBLICAN
GOVERNOR LEADERSHIP STARTING
BACK.
A CONTRACT WAS SIGNED UNDER THEN
GOVERNOR CHARLIE CRIST, WAS
INSTALLED AND UNDER RICK SCOTT
AND GOVERNOR DESANTIS NEW THE
PROBLEMS AND NOTHING WAS
CHANGED.
SO THE SYSTEM WAS DESIGNED TO
RIG AND TO HURT THE PEOPLE OF
OUR STATE.
SAME THING WITH OUR ECONOMY.
THIS RON ASSIGNED PEOPLE
LEGISLATION THIS YEAR THAT
INCREASED OUR TAXES BY OVER A
BILLION DOLLARS, YET AT THE SAME
TIME CUT TAXES TO THE
CORPORATIONS, THE 1 PERCENT BY
HALF A MILLION DOLLARS.
>> COMMISSIONER, IF I MAY, JUST
STOP YOU FOR A SECOND.
IF IN FACT YOU BECOME THE
GOVERNOR, THE LEGISLATURE STILL
WOULD BE CONTROLLED BY THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY.
THEY ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE IN
MANY WAYS DISREGARDED THE WILL
OF THE PEOPLE.
I MEAN LOOK WHAT THEY DID WITH
THE CRUISESHIPS GOING INTO KEY
WEST.
THEY SIMPLY OVERTURNED A
REFERENDUM BUT HOW WOULD YOU AS
A DEMOCRAT DEALING WITH A
REPUBLICAN LEGISLATURE GET
ANYTHING DONE?
>> WELL FIRST OFF, MY BACKGROUND
WILL TELL YOU THAT IT ST
POSSIBLE.
I WAS BROUGHT UP IN MIAMI WITH A
DIEHARD REPUBLICAN AS A FATHER.
DIEHARD DEMOCRAT AS A MOTHER.
THE DISINNER TABLE CONVERSATIONS
WERE ALWAYS INTERESTING AND WAS
ABLE TO LEARN TO BOTH SIDES AND
COME TO COMPROMISE.
SAME WHEN I WAS A GOVERNMENTAL
CONSULTANT IN TALLAHASSEE
WORKING ON ISSUES, WORKING WITH
BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE.
HAVE I DONE THAT AS A
COMMISSIONER.
MY FIRST LEGISLATIVE SESSION WE
PACKED A MONUMENTAL PIECE OF
LEGISLATION LEGALIZING HEMP HERE
IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA,
RECEIVED ONE NO VOTE IN BOTH
CHAMBERS, ALL THREE COMMITTEES,
THE BILLS WERE SPONSORED BY
REPUBLICANS.
I TALK TO REPUBLICANS ON A VERY
NORMAL BASIS.
>> CAN WE SIT TIGHT FOR A MINUTE
AND TAKE A QUICK BREAK.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. >> SEE YOU IN TWO. >> WE ARE BACK WITH AGRICULTURE
COMMISSIONER NIKKI FRIETD IN HER
OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS CANDIDATE
FOR GOVERNOR.
I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT THIS
CURRENT IMPASSE BETWEEN GOVERNOR
DESANTIS AND THE CRUISE INDUSTRY
CRITICAL TO THE STAIVMENT THE
CRUISE INDUSTRY TRYING TO RIGHT
THE SHIP OF BUSINESS AFTER THE
PANDEMIC.
UNDER CDC MANDATE THAT MOST OF
THE PASSENGERS AND CREW ARE
VACCINATED WHEREAS THE GOVERNOR
HAS BANNED VACCINE PASSPORTS AND
EVEN ASKING FOR PROOF.
SO THIS WEEK RIGHT AFTER YOU
ANNOUNCED FOR GOVERNOR ON A
CABLE NEWS INTERVIEW YOU
SUGGESTED THAT THE CRUISE LINES
LOOK AT LEAVING FLORIDA IF THE
GOVERNOR IS NOT WILLING TO WORK
WITH THEM.
WHICH FRANKLY IS KIND OF A
STRANGE THING TO HEAR FROM
SOMEONE WANTING TO UNARE THE
STATE ABOUT THIS GIANT ECONOMIC
DRIVER, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT?
>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
LET’S FIRST GO BACK TO HOW WE
GOT HERE.
RON DESANTIS WENT THROUGH THERE
PANDEMIC T WAS HIS WAY OR THE
HIGHWAY, WANTING TO BELIEVE THAT
HE WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING.
AND YOU KNOW AGAIN I GO BACK TO
WHAT I WAS ALWAYS TAUGHT ABOUT
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, THAT IT IS
SUPPOSED TO BE LESS GOVERNMENT,
LESS GOVERNMENT INTRUSION, SMALL
GOVERNMENT AS FAR AS LOCAL
GOVERNMENT AND LESS TAXES, LESS
SPINEDDING AND FREE MARKET.
RON DESANTIS TOOK FREE MARKET
AWAY FROM THE CRUISE LINE
INDUSTRY AND SO MANY BUSINESSES
ACROSS THE ENTIRE STATE.
SO THE CRUISE LINE INDUSTRY HAS
TO MAKE A BUSINESS DECISION OF
WHAT IS BEST FOR THEIR PATRONS
AS WELL AS BEST FOR THEIR PEOPLE
THAT ACTUALLY WORK ON THE CRUISE
LINE INDUSTRY.
THIS CRUISE LYNN INDUSTRY IS
PARAMOUNT TO THE STATE OF
FLORIDA.
AS FAR AS THE AMOUNT OF TOURISTS
BROUGHT IN HERE, THE AMOUNT OF
JOBS ASSOCIATED WITH THE
INDUSTRY.
OF COURSE NOBODY WANTS THE
INDUSTRY TO THREEF.
SOMEBODY WHO WENT ON CRUISES
ABOUT TWICE A YEAR, OF COURSE I
DON’T WANT THEM TO LEAVE BUT THE
GOVERNOR HAS TO WORK WITH PEOPLE
AND HAS TO UNDERSTAND EXRIEMSZ
AND THAT FREE MARKET HAS GOT TO
RULE THE DAY HERE.
AND THAT IS NOT WHAT HE HAS DONE
SO I AM HOPING THAT HE CONTINUES
TO WORK WITH THE CRUISE LINE
INDUSTRY, THEY’RE NECESSARY FOR
OUR ECONOMY AND I HOPE THEY
DON’T LEAVE BUT THEY NEED TO
MAKE DECISIONS WHAT IS BEST FOR
THEIR INDUSTRY WHICH IS WHAT
FREE MARKET MEANS.
AND SO HOPEFULLY THEY WILL COME
UP WITH SOME COMPROMISE THAT
ISN’T GOING TO PUT THE PEOPLE
WANTING TO BE ON A CRUISE IN
PERIL OF GETTING COVID-19.
>> NIKKI, YOU HAVE BEEN
RELENTLESSLY CRITICAL OF
GOVERNOR DESANTIS.
HE RETURNED THE FAVOR THIS WEEK,
REALLY IN I THINK KIND OF A
NASTY WAY, PUT YOU DOWN, SAID
YOU ARE A LOCKED DOWN LOBBYIST.
AND OTHER THINGS.
BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT
THE WAY HE HANDLED COVID-19,
GOING IN TO ALF’S AND LONG-TERM
CARE FACILITIES, SENDING IN
NATIONAL GUARD TEAMS TO
VACCINATE SENIORS.
WOULD YOU CONCEDE THAT HE IN
SOME WAYS DID A GOOD JOB FOR THE
SENIORS OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA?
>> YOU KNOW, WHAT I HAVE SAID
TIME AND TIME AGAIN ABOUT HOW
GOVERNOR DESANTIS HAS DEALT WITH
THIS PANDEMIC IS IN A
NONTRANSPARENT, NONEMPATHETIC,
HIS WAY OR THE HIGHWAY TYPE OF
APPROACH.
DIDN’T BRING IN LOCAL
GOVERNMENT, DIDN’T BRING IN THE
BUSINESS COMMUNITY TO MAKE
DECISIONS, DIDN’T BRING IN
CONGRESSAL DELEGATIONS AND
REALLY A COUPLE OF SHORT SIDED
ON HOW HE DEALT WITH THIS.
WENT ON A NATIONAL TOUR TO SAY
HOW HE WAS SUCCESSFUL.
37,000 PEOPLE DIED IN OUR STATE.
PEOPLE LOST FAMILY MEMBERS.
LOST THEIR JOBS AND HE DIDN’T
CARE.
HE CARED ABOUT BEING RIGHT.
AND LOOK WHAT HE DID WHEN THE
ROLLOUT OF THE VACCINE, HE MADE
IT A HUNGER GAMES FOR OUR
SENIORS, WHILE THEY ARE ALL NOW
HOPEFULLY VACCINATED DID
SHALL.
>> I APOLOGIZE, HATE TO DO IT
BUT WE ARE OUT OF TIME.
BUT GLENNA AND I INVITE TO YOU
COME BACK, THERE IS A LONG TIME
BETWEEN NOW AND THE PRIMARY.
MAYBE WE’LL GET YOU AND CHARLIE
CRIST TOGETHER.
THAT WOULD BE.
>> FANTASTIC.
>> OUR A APOLOGIES THERE WAS
BREAKING NEWS TODAY AND SO WE
WILL HAVE YOU BACK FOR SURE AND
APPRECIATE YOUR TIME SO MUCH.