>> FLOOR A DA ONLY DEMOCRAT ELECTED STATEWIDE IS CONSUMER SERVICES COMMISSIONER NIKKI
FREED WHO IS STEPPING UP HER
FUNDRAISING AND HER PUBLIC
PROFILE, POSSIBLY GETTING READY
TO RUN FOR GOVERNOR.
>> FREE LIVE STREAM GETTING HER
VACCINE AND STEPPING UP CRITIQUE
ON THE STATE’S HANDLING OF THAT
PROSES, AND MORE.
COMMISSIONER, SKYPING IN WITH US
TODAY, GOOD MORNING, WELL GOOD
AFTERNOON NOW?
>> GREAT TO SEE YOU.
>> GREAT TO SEE YOU, THANKS FOR
BEING WITH US.
>> I AM GOING TO ASK YOU
SOMETHING, I WILL ASK YOU THE
FIRST QUESTION MAY SET THE TONE
FOR THE NEXT NINE MINUTES AND
OFFICIALLY LIVE ON SOUTH FLORIDA
NIKKI FREED, WILL YOU BE RUNNING
FOR GOVERNOR?
>> YOU KNOW, IN IS SOMETHING
THAT NEEDS TO BE ELEVATED, A AS
OUR ONLY STATE WIDE COLLECTED
DEMOCRAT MORE AND MORE PEOPLE
HAVE ASKED ME TO THROW MY NAME
IN THE HAT BECAUSE THEY ARE
DISAPPOINTED AND I AGREE WITH
NOW THE GOVERNOR HAS NOT ONLY
HANDLED THE PANDEMIC AND THE
STATE OF FLORIDA.
WE ARE GETTING CLOSE TO MAKING A
FINAL DECISION AND WILL LET YOU
KNOW AS SOON AS WE DO SO.
>> WHY DOES IT FEEL LIKE A FORE
GONE CONCLUSION ALREADY?
>> I ANY BECAUSE OF THE FACT
THAT I HAVE BEEN HOLDING THE
GOVERNOR ACCOUNTABLE SINCE HE
GOT ELECTED BECAUSE WE’RE
PUTTING FORTH A GREAT SOLUTION
ACROSS THE STATE THAT WE ARE
DOING OUR JOB AS COMMISSIONER OF
AGRICULTURE AND WE ARE AGAIN
HOLDING THE GOVERNOR ACCOUNTABLE
IN A PRETTY CONSISTENT BASIS SO
YOU ARE SEEING A LOT OF THE
CONTRAST BETWEEN MYSELF AND RON
DESANTIS ON OUR LEADERSHIP
STYLES, OUR EMPATHY FOR THE
PEOPLE IN THE STATE OF NOR
DAVMENT HOW WE HANDLE CRISES AND
HOW ARE POLICY AND SOLUTION
DRIVEN ARE DIFFERENT AND
DISTINCT.
I THINK THAT PEOPLE IN THE STATE
ARE SEEING THOSE DIFFERENT TYPES
OF QUALITIES ARE WANTING A
DIFFERENCE AND A CHANGE STVMENT
REALLY ABOUT THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY OF FLORIDA AND 20 PLUS
YEARS OF THEIR RUNNING OF OUR
STATE, LOOK AT WHAT IS HAPPENING
RIGHT NOW IN PINNY POINT, THAT
IS BECAUSE OF THE DEREGULATION
GOING ON FOR 20 PLUS YEARS.
THE PEOPLE OF OUR STATE ARE
REALLY WANTING DIFFERENT
LEADERSHIP, WANTING DIFFERENT
STYLES ND THAT IS PROBABLY WHY,
PEOPLE THINK IT’S A FORE GONE
CONCLUSION.
>> COMMISSIONER, LET’S TALK A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE GOVERNOR
AND THE WAY HE HAS HANDLED THE
COVID-19 CRISIS FOR THE LAST 13
MONTHS OR SO.
AS THE DEPUTY SECRETARY OF
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SAID AT THE
VERY BEGINNING OF THE SHOW,
MAYBE YOU HEARD HER, 3.3 MILLION
FLORIDIANS HAVE BEEN VACCINATED,
GOTTEN BOTH SHOTS OR JOHNSON &
JOHNSON SHOT, ALL THINGS
CONSIDERED, THAT WOULD SEEM TO
BE A PRETTY FAIR RECORD AND AT
THE SAME TIME, THE ECONOMY HAS
BEEN RELATIVELY OPEN,
UNEMPLOYMENT NOW IS DOWN TO
RELATIVELY ABOUT 6 PERCENT.
THAT’S ALL ON THE PLUS SIDE,
ISN’T IT?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
FIRST OFFER, YOU KNOW, HAVING
OUR ECONOMY OPEN IS ALWAYS GOING
TO BE A GOOD THING THAT IS
SOMETHING I HAVE BEEN PUSHING
FOR FROM DAY ONE.
IN ORDER FOR OUR ECONOMY TO
REALLY BE ABLE TO STAFORT BACK
UP AND JUMP START ESPECIALLY
TOWARDS OUR NUMBER ONE INDUSTRY,
ECONOMICICALLY AND AGRICULTURE
IS NUMBER TWO, IN ORDER FOR US
TO HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL, WE NEED
TO HAVE TAKEN THESE PRECAUTIONS.
GETTING VACCINATION, HAVING
SOCIAL DISTANCING SKILLS,
MASKING UP AND IT IS OUR LOCAL
GOVERNMENT AND OUR BUSINESSES
THAT HAVE STEPPED UP DURING THIS
TIME.
AND TRYING TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE
OF THEIR COMMUNITIES AND PATRONS
COMING IN.
>> SO LET ME-- -- IF I MAY JUMP
IN AND SAY IF YOU HAD BEEN
GOVERNOR AND LOCAL
MUNICIPALITIES, CITIES, COUNTIES
WANTED TO ENFORCE A MASK
ORDINANCE WITH A FINE WHICH IN
FACT BROWARD, MIAMI DADE, OTHER
PLACES DID, THE GOVERNOR SAID
NO, YOU CAN’T DO THAT.
WOULD YOU HAVE ALLOWED THEM TO
DO THAT?
>> I WOULD HAVE.
AND I STILL WOULD HAVE.
BECAUSE THAT SHOWS LEADERSHIP
SAYING LOOK, WE’RE ALL GOING TO
DO THIS TOGETHER.
THE ONLY WAY FOR US TO HAVE
REALLY SLOWED DOWN THE VIRUS,
AND THE BEST THING THAT WE KNOW
IS SOCIAL DISTANCING AND WEARING
OF THE MASK.
THIS SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN
POLITICAL FROM DAY ONE IT SHOULD
HAVE BEEN SOMETHING THAT WE
COLLECTIVELY ALL WORK TOGETHER
ON WHETHER IT IS LOCAL
GOVERNMENT, STATE GOVERNMENT,
BIPARTISAN SUPPORT WITH THE
WHITE HOUSE, THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN
HERE.
YOU HAD VERY CHAOTIC LEADERSHIP
STYLES HERE AND A FREE FOR ALL.
WHEN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS GOVER
WERE TRYING TO SHOW LEADERSHIP
THE GOVERNOR SAID YES, THEN NO,
AND REALLY CREATED CHAOS AT THE
LOCAL LEVEL.
AND DIDN’T GIVE DIRECTION TO THE
LOCALSES.
AND SO WE NEEDED TO HAVE THIS
COMPLETE PARTNERSHIP.
AND YOU TALKED TO ALL OF OUR
MAYERS ACROSS THE STATE OF
FLORIDA AND THEY WILL TELL YOU
THIS HAD VERY LITTLE INTERACTION
WITH THE GOVERNOR, THAT IS NOT
LEADERSHIP NO ONE KNOWS HOW TO
GET THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC AT THE
BEGINNING.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NO LEADER
IS TRAINED HOW TO DO.
SO YOU BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND
YOU SAY OKAY WHAT ARE SOME
IDEAS, WHAT ARE SOME SOLUTIONS,
WHAT CAN I DO TO GIVE YOU THE
POWER NECESSARY TO PROTECT YOUR
COMMUNITIES.
THE GOVERNOR NEVER DID THAT.
HE KIND OF WAS A HANDS-OFF
APPROACH AND WHEN HE WANTED TO
COME BACK IN HE SLAPPED LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS NOT LETTING THEM DO
WHAT IS NECESSARY.
AND THAT IS A LEADERSHIP STYLE
THAT THE PEOPLE OF STATE OF
FLORIDA WANT.
THEY WANT CONSISTENCY,
TRANSPARENCY AND WANT PEOPLE TO
SHOW LEADERSHIP WHICH IS WHY I
GOT MY SHOT THIS WEEK AND DID IT
PUBLICLY SO PEOPLE KNOW, TRUST
THE SCIENCE, GET YOUR VACCINE
AND THAT IS WHAT A TRUE LEADER
DOES.
>> COMMISSIONER, YOU LEVELED
SOME PRETTY SERIOUS CHARGES.
YOU HAD ASKED FOR A FEDERAL
INVESTIGATION INTO WHETHER THE
GOVERNOR WAS USING SORT OF A
PAID-- PAY TO PLAY SYSTEM TO
DISPENSE VACCINES AT THE VERY
BEGINNING AND POSSIBLY AFTER.
HE HAS DENIED THAT.
IT IS A NARRATIVE THAT I WILL BE
FRANK TO TELL YOU, WE HAVE FOUND
NO SPECIFIC PROOF FOR AND TO
SORT OF TAKE POLITICS OUT OF
THIS, THE DIVISION OF EMERGENCY
MAGHT JARED MOSCOW WITS
DE-- MOSCOWOWITZ DENIED IT, WHAT
PROOF TO DO YOU HAVE.
>> BECAUSE WHEN THERE IS SMOKE
THERE IS FIRE.
IT WASN’T JUST ONE INSTANCE THAT
HAPPENED.
IT WAS EVERYTHING FROM FIRST
WITH THE PUBLIC AND WHAT
HAPPENED IN MANATEE COUNTY WHERE
YOU HAD LOCAL LEFTISTS PUTTING
TOGETHER VIP LISTS, SPECIFIC ZIP
CODE, THE ONLY TIME YOU HAD A
SPECIFIC ZIP CODE AND COULDN’T
HAVE OTHER PEOPLE GOING INTO THE
AREA TO GET THE VACCINE.
THAT ZIP CODE HAPPENED IN THE
WEALTHIEST AREA OF THE COUNTY.
WE HAD CAMPAIGN DISTRIBUTIONS,
YOU SAW THE SAME THING A LITTLE
FURTHER SOUTH AND OF COURSE THE
ISSUE AT OCEAN REEF.
>> LET ME JUST, BECAUSE THE
GOVERNOR IS NOT HERE TO DEFEND
HIMSELF.
I WILL TELL YOU WHAT WE HAVE
HEARD FROM THEM.
IS THAT THE GOVERNOR, WE KNOW
THIS TO BE TRUE, THAT THE
DISPENSING OF THE VACCINES WAS
GIVEN LOCALLY TO VARIOUS
HOSPITALS, INSTITUTIONS, AND
THOSE DECISIONS THAT YOU ARE
TALKING ABOUT WERE MADE ON A
MORE LOCAL LEVEL, WITHOUT THE
GOVERNOR’S HAVING AN ACTIVE PART
IN THOSE DECISIONS.
WHICH I’M SURE YOU KNOW.
SO HOSPITALS DI PENCE THEM.
WHAT THE LOCAL LEADERS DID, IN
THE SOUTHWEST COAST THAT ARE YOU
TALKING ABOUT, THAT HAS BEEN
THEIR OWN ACTIVITY.
>> YEAH, AND I DISAGREE WITH
THAT.
BECAUSE HERE ARE A COUPLE OF
THINGS.
FIRST OFF WE KNOW FROM THE
CUNTY COMMISSION THARY WAS OVER
IN MANATEE THAT SHE HAD DIRECT
COMMUNICATION WITH THE
GOVERNOR’S OFFICE.
AND WAS ASKED TO PUT TOGETHER A
VIP LIST.
THEN THERE WAS THE BACK AND
FORTH COMMUNICATION THAT
HAPPENED IN OCEAN REEF BETWEEN
FIRST BAPTIST SAYING WE WERE
TOLD TO REALLOCATE OUR
ALLOTMENT, PER THE GOVERNOR’S
OFFICE.
THERE WAS BACK AND FORTH
COMMUNICATION THAT SHOWS THAT
THERE WAS NOT, AND I GO BACK TO
THE GENERAL, MY GENERAL PREMISE,
NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED
IF THE GOVERNOR HAD ACTUALLY
CREATED A PLAN IN PLACE.
AND INSTEAD, THAT THE GOVERNOR
WHEN MIA FOR THREE WEEKS IN
NOVEMBER CLAIMING HE WAS PUTTING
TOGETHER A STATEWIDE PLAN, THAT
ENDS UP BEING A FALSE AND A HALF
TIFF HE PUT OUT IN NOVEMBER.
AND GLENNA, I TALKED TO A
SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF HOSPITAL
ADMINISTRATORS ACROSS THE STATE,
THEY WERE CAUGHT OFF GUARD, THAT
THEY WERE THE ONES ORIGINALLY TO
DISTRIBUTE THE VACCINE.
AND THEN WE CHANGE IT TO PUBLIC,
AND EVEN THAT YOU WILL SEE
TONIGHT LATER ON, ONE OF THE
INTERVIEWS IS THAT THE GOVERNOR
TRIED SAYING WE TALKED TO THE
PALM BEACH COUNTY AND THE PERSON
IN CHARGE OF PALM BEACH COUNTY
SAID THAT CONVERSATION NEVER
HAPPENED.
YOU KNOW, SO YOU KEPT HAVING
THESE CHANGES AND WHERE THESE
VACCINES WERE GOING TO BE
DISTRIBUTED.
THERE WAS NO REGULATORY
OVERSIGHT AND SO EVEN IF THE
GOVERNOR WASN’T HANDS ON ON
MAKING THE OFFICIAL DECISION TO
PUT A
VACCINES, THIS WAS ALLOWED TO
HAPPEN.
AND HE HAS REFUSED FROM TIME AND
TIME AGAIN TO TAKE ANY OIN AND
ANY BLAME FOR ANY OF THE
SITUATION ACROSS THE STATE
WHETHER IT WAS THE PANDEMIC,
WHETHER IT WAS NOT VACCINATING
CERTAIN COMMUNITIES.
EVERYTHING ALONG THE WAY HE HAS
TRIED TO PUT BLAME ON OTHER
GROUPS OF PEOPLE.
LOOK IS HE THE GOVERNOR OF THE
STATE OF THROR DA.
IF THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE
VACCINE DISTRIBUTION AND HOW
COVID HAS BEEN DEALT WITH, IT
HAS TO STOP.
>> WE KNOW WHERE THE BUCK STOPS
IT IS ON THE GOVERNOR’S DESK.
HE SAYS IT STOPPED WELL.
YOU SAY IT DIDN’T.
BUT ANYWAY COMMISSIONER FREED,
ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE YOU ON OUR
PROGRAM.
WE WISH YOU WELL AND WE WILL BE
FOLLOWING ANY UPCOMING A
NOUNSMENTS ABOUT YOUR POLITICAL
FUTURE.
>> AND WE INVITE TO YOU MAKE IT
RIGHT HERE WITH US.