CNN —
Florida taxpayers paid $8.8 million to protect Gov. Ron DeSantis and his family over the past year as he laid the groundwork for and then launched a presidential campaign, according to a new state report.
The report, released by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, covers July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023 – a period that saw DeSantis fundraise across the country for his gubernatorial reelection, participate in rallies for Republicans in midterm battlegrounds, embark on a national tour to promote his second book and the first six weeks of his presidential campaign.
The state spent $8 million on protecting DeSantis alone – including
