Seeking Rents – The Podcast

Hosted by Jason Garcia

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186

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Aug 2026

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"Rent-seeking" is a term in economics that describes when a corporation uses its political influence to twist tax laws and other public policy in its favor. Seeking Rents – The Podcast brings you the stories of how that's happening in Florida, where corporate interests like Florida Power & Light, Big Sugar, and Walt Disney World wield enormous influence everywhere from local city halls to the state Capitol. Hosted by award-winning journalist Jason Garcia, Florida's leading corporate-accountability reporter. jasongarcia.substack.com

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September 2, 202647 min

Hope Florida fallout

In this episode : The release of a bombshell grand jury report into the $10 million “Hope Florida” affair has rocked the state’s political landscape two months before the election. James Uthmeier, the former Ron DeSantis chief of staff at the center of the scandal who the governor then promoted to attorney general, threatened a television reporter simply for asking him a question about it. Byron Donalds, the Republican candidate to become DeSantis’ successor, initially dismissed the issue but is now trying to reassure voters that he will demand reform. And pollsters are scurrying to figure out who Floridians ultimately blame for what the grand jury called “a sophisticated scheme” to spend taxpayer money on political campaigns. Plus: Updates on the state-altering property tax proposal that will appear on the November ballot and a developer-backed law that continues to cause chaos in local communities around the state. Show notes For more information about the Urban Land Institute Central Florida’s Oct. 1 panel on Amendment 3, click here . The webinar with Welcome to Florida cohost and candidate for Florida House District 15 House Chadd Charland about the importance of state government will be held the evening of Sept. 9, starting at 8 pm. You will be able to join the Zoom conversation at this link . To watch the Florida Center for Government Accountability’s Aug. 26 webinar on Hope Florida, click here . To make a donation to Seeking Rents, click here . Stories discussed in today’s show: Conflicting testimony and foggy memories: How the Hope Florida grand jury found wrongdoing but no wrongdoers ‘Are you trying to solicit a crime?’: Florida attorney general launches into tirade when questioned about Hope Florida Florida AG says he wasn’t a grand jury target. So why didn’t he testify? Donalds dismisses Jolly’s call for new Hope Florida investigation as ‘politics’ Donalds and Jolly call for Hope Florida reforms after scathing grand jury report The legal loophole Florida is using to keep people locked in cages in the Everglades Property Tax Cuts Under Amendment 3 Would Lead to Reductions in Services for Some Florida Hospitals Senate Bill 180 strikes again Attorney General James Uthmeier is raising hundreds of thousands from firms he hired Questions or comments ? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com Listen to the show : Apple | Spotify Watch the show: YouTube Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe

August 27, 202640 min

‘A sophisticated scheme,’ exposed

In this episode : A scathing grand jury report — one that some of the most powerful politicians in Florida tried to keep hidden from voters — says that the administration of Gov. Ron DeSantis “misappropriated” $10 million in taxpayer money “as part of a sophisticated scheme to fund political activities.” The grand jury broadly laid blame for the Hope Florida scandal with James Uthmeier, the former DeSantis chief of staff who since been appointed attorney general of Florida. It also exposed the hidden role in the affair played by U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody. The grand jury ultimately declined to issue any criminal indictments in part because “nobody will take responsibility” for key decisions. But Uthmeier and Moody are both on the ballot this fall — which means the final verdict now lies with Florida voters. Show notes Before you do anything else, read Jim DeFede’s scoop at CBS Miami, which includes the full text of the Hope Florida grand jury report: Grand jury finds DeSantis administration "misappropriated" $10 million in taxpayer money to Hope Florida To make a donation to Seeking Rents, click here . To register for the Amendment 3 town hall I’ll be moderating, click here . For more details on the Brevard County panel on all the November constitutional amendments that I’ll be participating on, click here . Other stories discussed in today’s show: The net tightens around key figures in the Hope Florida scandal The attorney general has some explaining to do. Will anyone make him? Hidden consultants and hurried payments: Records reveal details of DeSantis’ campaign against abortion and marijuana amendments Did Florida’s attorney general break the law during a Martin Luther King Day legal stunt? Judge finds Florida attorney general in contempt for defying court order in major immigration case Former federal prosecutors see potential charges in Hope Florida saga Caruso’s old sexual abuse allegations are easy to find. Why didn’t DeSantis know? The best and worst of Florida’s 2025 session (so far) The bills discussed in today’s show: House Bill 1445 — Public Employees and Public Officers Passed the Florida House of Representatives by a 97-1 vote ( vote sheet ) and the Florida Senate by a 37-0 vote ( vote sheet ) Questions or comments ? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com Listen to the show : Apple | Spotify Watch the show: YouTube Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe

August 20, 202646 min

Big money loses big

In this episode : A number of lavishly funded candidates fell to grassroots challengers running on shoestring budgets during this week’s primary elections, showing that Big Money can become a big liability. Then again, Facebook’s favorite legislators survived their races and the candidate with the biggest bank account of them all — Byron Donalds, the new Republican nominee for governor — won his contest with (relative) ease. Plus: A book-banning backlash continues, Donald Trump’s grip on the GOP loosens, and the development lobby scores a split decision in the two communities that are driving so much of the statewide fights over growth management and local control. Show notes To make a donation to Seeking Rents, click here . To register for the Amendment 3 town hall I’ll be moderating, click here . Some post-primary reading: The Left Notches Another Win With This Secret Weapon: Old-Fashioned Organizing Sarasota County school board likely to have shift in political leaning as Democrats win the primary Sarasota, Manatee voters deal a blow to grassroots candidates in primary Slow-Growth Candidates Sweep St. Johns Commission Races Despite DeSantis Endorsements Maxwell: Mills loses, Donalds underperforms as Trump influence wanes in Florida Rawson downplays League of the South connection as ‘desperate’ play to win Questions or comments ? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com Listen to the show : Apple | Spotify Watch the show: YouTube Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe

August 14, 202643 min

Endorsed by Mark Zuckerberg

In this episode : In Tampa, Big Tech giant Meta Platforms is funding last-minute mailers on behalf of a Democratic legislator who is locked in a tough primary for an open seat in the state Senate. And in Miami, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram is paying for digital ads promoting a Republican legislator who is in line to become speaker of the state House. It’s all part of a nationwide campaign by Meta to fill state Legislatures with candidates supportive of the artificial intelligence industry — and Florida is the latest front. Plus: New records reveal that lobbyists for two big homebuilders and Republican donors lobbied against legislation that would have repealed a state law that has made it much harder for cities, counties and towns across Florida to slow urban sprawl, protect the environment and manage population growth. Show notes To make a donation to Seeking Rents, click here . To sign up for the Sierra Club Central Florida Group’s Aug. 19 meeting at Leu Gardens in Orlando, click here . To register for the Florida Center for Government Accountability’s Aug. 20 Hope Florida webinar, click here . Stories discussed in today’s show: Facebook is meddling in Florida elections At the last minute, Facebook tries to tilt a tight Democratic primary for a Senate seat in Tampa Developer lobbyists secretly sought to maintain a law handcuffing local communities on growth Judge rules against impact fee increases in Palm Coast Manatee County in a legal fight with developers. Over $14 million is at stake A rebellion in Florida Will Manatee County cut wetland protections? Science and developer interests clash Bills discussed in today’s show: Senate Bill 180 (2025) — Emergencies Passed the House of Representatives by a 106-0 vote ( vote sheet ) and the Florida Senate by a 34-1 vote ( vote sheet ). Senate Bill 840 (2026) — Land Use Regulations for Local Governments Affected by Natural Disasters Questions or comments ? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com Listen to the show : Apple | Spotify Watch the show: YouTube Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe

August 7, 202636 min

Zombie sprawl

In this episode : A month-old law enacted by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature — with help from lobbyists representing major developers — already has more than 15 square miles of farmland around the state at risk of being consumed for new housing subdivisions. Many of the proposed projects have been previously rejected by county commissioners because of concerns about traffic congestion, habitat destruction, and encroachment on rural communities. But Tallahassee has now tied the hands of locally elected leaders. Plus: Amendment 3, the Florida Legislature’s controversial property tax ballot measure, is suddenly in limbo. And the growing problem of “dark lobbying” in the state Capitol. Show notes To make a donation in support of Seeking Rents, click here . To reserve a ticket to our discussion about data centers in Venice with Alice Herman and Christian Casale of Suncoast Searchlight and Emily Mahoney of the Tampa Bay Times, click here . Stories discussed in today’s show : New law has developers poised to build on thousands of acres of farmland around Florida Dark lobbying in the Florida Legislature After taking money from Walmart heirs, Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature helped billionaires hide their family fortunes Florida judge rules property tax amendment misleading, orders rewrite Same circus, different clowns Bills discussed in today’s show: Senate Bill 686 — Agricultural Enclaves Passed the House of Representatives by a 90-20 vote ( vote sheet ) and the Florida Senate by a 34-2 vote ( vote sheet ). Questions or comments ? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com Listen to the show : Apple | Spotify Watch the show: YouTube Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe

July 30, 202639 min

Billionaires for Byron

In this episode : A billionaire hedge fund executive gave $10 million last week to Byron Donalds, the Republican Congressman from Naples who is the favorite to win the GOP nomination for Florida governor in next month’s primary elections. His gift came after a billionaire TikTok investor gave Donalds at least $7.5 million. Other billionaires are pouring money into the Donalds campaign, too. Their cash comes with strings. Plus: Attorney General James Uthmeier helps the billionaire-owned Fontainebleau Hotel steamroll residents of Miami Beach who are fighting a proposed expansion project; the companies that sell electricity to AI data centers love Florida’s new data center law; and a key provision in the state constitution is, it turns out, meaningless. Show notes To make a donation in support of Seeking Rents, click here . To reserve a ticket to our discussion about data centers in Venice with Alice Herman and Christian Casale of Suncoast Searchlight and Emily Mahoney of the Tampa Bay Times, click here . Stories discussed in today’s show: The DeSantis decisions: Quiet wins for homebuilders and car dealers Billionaire Ken Griffin pours money into Byron Donalds’ campaign for governor Meet the billionaire pushing taxpayer-funded school vouchers The billionaire trying to reinvent Florida schools has a $7.5 million bet on Byron Donalds The Scale of Billionaires’ Campaign Donations is Overwhelming U.S. Politics Lobbyist for a billionaire-run hedge fund wrote a bill allowing longer non-competes, records show Lobbyists for a billionaire and a charter network pushed Florida lawmakers to expand a school privatization program, records show A billionaire-backed think tank keeps sabotaging Florida workers. More attacks are coming. Untraceable: Who sends all those political mailers? Fewer Florida residents are receiving federal food benefits The Fontainebleau wanted another favor from the Florida Legislature New law has Florida ‘open for business’ for AI data centers, utility execs say Florida judge refuses to boot Fishback from the ballot, won’t ‘decide the race’ Bills discussed in today’s show: Senate Bill 686 – Agricultural Enclaves Senate Bill 484 – Data Centers House Bill 399 – Land Use and Development Regulations Questions or comments ? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com Listen to the show : Apple | Spotify Watch the show: YouTube Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe

July 23, 202640 min

Chink in the armor

In this episode : Data center interests have spent more than $5 million supporting Byron Donalds, the Trump-endorsed Congressman from Naples who is the heavy favorite to win the Republican nomination for Florida governor in next month’s primary election. But all that industry money is morphing from a strength to a liability amid a rising bipartisan backlash to data center development around the state. Meanwhile, James Uthmeier, Florida’s never-elected attorney general, is using his office to help Elon Musk’s Tesla try to get out of paying $243 million to victims of a fatal car crash involving Tesla’s Autopilot technology. Plus: Updates on big battles over property insurance, growth management and home rule. Show notes To make a donation in support of Seeking Rents, click here . Stories discussed in today’s show: Data center donors have spent more than $20 million in Florida ahead of the 2026 elections Meta Begins $65 Million Election Push to Advance A.I. Agenda Florida’s attorney general is trying to help Elon Musk’s Tesla get out of a $243 million verdict An insurance company led by a billionaire megadonor wrote a law pushing Florida condo owners into higher-priced property insurance Group tied to influential Ruane Cunniff sues Reinhold Corporation over Clay County land sale dispute A New York investment firm with vast land holdings across north Florida wants state lawmakers to greenlight giant developments Ron DeSantis is helping real estate developers exploit a hurricane relief law The Florida Legislature made a mess. The Florida House refused to clean it up. Bills discussed in today’s show: Senate Bill 484 — Data Centers Senate Bill 1616 — Liability of Advanced Driving System Manufacturers and Developers Senate Bill 1028 — Citizens Property Insurance Corp. House Bill 299 / Senate Bill 354 — Blue Ribbon Projects Senate Bill 840 — Land Use Regulations for Local Governments Affected by Natural Disasters Senate Bill 180 (2025) — Emergencies Questions or comments ? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com Listen to the show : Apple | Spotify Watch the show: YouTube Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe

July 17, 202638 min

The good, the bad and the bought

In this episode : Led by a Donald Trump-appointed judge, a federal appeals court struck down Florida’s infamous “Stop WOKE Act,” a Ron DeSantis-championed law meant to censor university professors on subjects like racism and sexism. But Florida and other GOP-controlled Southern states are working on another way to control what can be said, taught or studied on college campuses. Meanwhile, rural and suburban towns across the state face an existential threat from a property tax cut that will appear on the November ballot. And new records reveal how a billionaire-led insurance broker wrote a law that could drive up property insurance prices for condo owners— and then puppeteered the plan through the Florida Legislature Show notes : To make a donation in support of Seeking Rents, click here . Stories discussed in today’s show: ‘Breathtaking assertion of power’: Appeals court slams door on Florida ‘Stop Woke’ law championed by DeSantis Scott Maxwell: Courts confirm Florida’s ‘Stop WOKE’ law is un-American garbage A lawyer for Ron DeSantis revealed the real motive behind one of Florida’s most controversial laws Next in Florida's war on 'woke': Becoming its own higher ed watchdog Florida leaders hid money for controversial higher education project City-by-city estimates of property tax impacts from Amendment 3 What Florida’s tax rollback looks like through the eyes of one small town An insurance company led by a billionaire megadonor wrote a law pushing Florida condo owners into higher-priced property insurance Questions or comments ? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com Listen to the show : Apple | Spotify Watch the show: YouTube Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe

July 8, 202631 min

Two of a kind

In this episode : Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has been using his office to help donors, intervening in at least three civil disputes on behalf of special interests who gave $25,000 gifts to his fundraising committee. Meanwhile, Florida state House Speaker Danny Perez has been using his powers to help secret clients of his private legal practice, including Airbnb and Newsmax. For a pair of politicians who have spent much of the last two years fighting with each other, the two of them seem to have quite a bit in common. Show notes Stories discussed on today’s show: They gave Uthmeier’s campaign $25,000. Then his office stepped in to help. Filing reveals FL House Speaker’s private client list, including Airbnb, Newsmax Florida’s top cop uses his power to prop up car dealers A favor for a billionaire car dealer and Republican megadonor, tucked inside a transportation law Ron DeSantis' top aide punished bank lobbyists for being disloyal Records show Big Sugar lobbyists are working on plans for an Everglades-area mine A right-wing news network lobbied Florida lawmakers to defund fact-checkers, records show A new tax break for Trump appointees Questions or comments ? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com Listen to the show : Apple | Spotify Watch the show: YouTube Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe

July 2, 202651 min

Season change

In this episode : Following a last-minute blitz of vetoes by the governor — including half a dozen bills and more than $800 million in spending — the 2026 legislative season has finally come to an end in Florida. Which means election season is here. But before campaign coverage crowds everything else out, we take a closer look at some of the bills Gov. Ron DeSantis decided to stop from becoming law. The doctors’ lobby is pleased with his choices. MAHA activists are not. Correction: During the podcast, I incorrectly referred to a bill dealing with e-bike regulations by the wrong bill number. The correct bill number is below. Show notes The bills discussed in today’s show: Senate Bill 688 — Naturopathic Medicine Passed the House of Representatives by an 85-22 vote ( vote sheet ) and the Senate by a 33-3 vote ( vote sheet ). See the governor’s veto letter here . House Bill 893 — Trust Fund Interest for Purposes Approved by Supreme Court Passed the House of Representatives by a 112-0 vote ( vote sheet ) and the Senate by a 38-0 vote ( vote sheet ). Read the governor’s veto letter here . House Bill 461 — Volunteering at Polling Locations Passed the House of Representatives by a 108-0 vote ( vote sheet ) and the Florida Senate by a 37-0 vote ( vote sheet ). Read the governor’s veto letter here . Senate Bill 382 — Micromobility Devices Passed the House of Representatives by a 112-0 vote ( vote sheet ) and the Senate by a 37-0 vote ( vote sheet ). Read the governor’s veto letter here . The stories discussed in today’s show: DeSantis cuts free tax prep for working families but approves money for Mike Huckabee A tour of Florida’s new state budget, from money for Mike Huckabee to tax cuts for casinos Banks lobbyists want to slash funding for legal support programs Amid a growing national witch hunt for abortion medication, Florida may fund testing for ‘contaminants’ in toilet water An Attorney General-backed vendor pitched wastewater surveillance program Questions or comments ? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com Listen to the show : Apple | Spotify Watch the show: YouTube Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe

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