Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is among the leading candidates to win the presidential race in the upcoming 2024 election.
As the residents of Florida are finding out, the cost to protect the governor has gone up.
What Happened: Considered a frontrunner for the GOP nomination in the 2024 election for many months, DeSantis is currently ranked second in many national polls, trailing only Donald Trump.
Since announcing his campaign for the presidency, the cost to protect the governor has increased.
A report from Politico said that the state of Florida spent $9.41 million to protect DeSantis from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, a figure that is up 58% year-over-year.
The figure comes from an annual report released by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which tracks spending on staff and transportation related to the security detail for DeSantis in a 12-month period.
The protection of DeSantis, his wife, and members of his family is the responsibility of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, as is the security provided at the governor’s mansion located in Tallahassee, Florida.
The report does not break down what led to the huge jump in cost, but Politico did acknowledge that an increase in salaries contributed.
“By law, FDLE must provide protective services to the governor and the first family,” DeSantis spokesman Jeremy Redfern told Politico. “His record as the most effective conservative governor in America history has also earned him an elevated threat profile, and FDLE has increased the number of protective agents to ensure the governor and his family remain safe.”
The report also listed a cost of $117,000 for the inauguration of DeSantis, with security provided by the Department of Law Enforcement. Additional private security was paid for by the Republican Party of Florida.
Related Link: 2024 Election Betting Odds
Why It’s Important: The 12-month period covered in the report includes the November 2022 election time period, which saw DeSantis re-elected as governor of Florida and also a portion of the time after publicly announcing his campaign for the
While the $9.41 million sounds like a massive figure, it might pale in comparison to the security spent by some CEOs of the largest companies.
Benzinga previously reported that Meta Platforms META CEO Mark Zuckerberg received $13.4 million in personal security expenses in 2020 and $15.1 million in 2021 and $14.8 million in 2022, all annual figures higher than DeSantis.
News of the cost to protect DeSantis also comes as 2024 presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. has lashed out at President Joe Biden after being denied Secret Service protection.
“Since the assassination of my father in 1968, candidates for president are provided Secret Service protection. But not me,” Kennedy Jr. tweeted.
According to Politico, the Secret Service protects “major presidential and vice presidential candidates and their spouses within 120 days of a general presidential election.”
Kenndy Jr. called the decision to deny him Secret Service protection politically motivated, as the lawyer is running against Biden for the Democratic nomination in the 2024 presidential election.
CNN said the denial was not political and likely had to do with how far away the 2024 election is and Kennedy Jr. not being a strong candidate to win the election.
“He’s not a major presidential candidate. You can make as many requests as you want; unless you meet the criteria that have been set forth, it’s just not warranted,” CNN law enforcement analyst and former Secret Service agent Jonathan Wackrow said.
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