Trump delivers a Senate race sweetener to Scott
Critics rage at administration pledge to spare Florida from expanded offshore oil drilling.
By MARC CAPUTO, BEN LEFEBVRE, MATT DIXON and BRUCE RITCHIE 01/09/2018 11:24 PM EST
Donald Trump delivered a big political contribution to Rick Scott on Tuesday as the Florida governor contemplates a bid for U.S. Senate: a pledge to spare Florida from administration plans to expand offshore oil drilling nationwide.
The surprise announcement from Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke — who went to the trouble of flying to Tallahassee to stand beside Scott — outraged environmentalists and Democrats who insist the decision was a political ploy that unlawfully gave preferential treatment to Florida, a swing state that voted for Trump and that’s home to his so-called “Winter White House” escape at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach.
Zinke made sure that the term-limited governor got all the credit. In response to a question about what was the final determining factor in his decision, Zinke said: “The governor."
"You have a tremendous governor that is straightforward, easy to work for, says exactly what he means. And I can tell you Florida is well-served,” Zinke said.
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https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/09/florida-senate-scott-trump-oil-drilling-333144?lo=ap_d1
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