A Florida judge on Friday refused to dismiss a lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) over his offer of transport of migrantsfor him The New Herald.
Driving the news: Leon County Circuit Court Judge John C. Cooper has set a trial date for January 30 to hear the case brought by Florida State Senator Jason Pizzo (D), who accused Gov. of illegally using taxpayer money to transport nearly 50 undocumented immigrants from Texas. to Martha's Vineyard last September.
- DeSantis' lawyers tried to take the case away from Pizzo, who is suing as a private citizen, and it was thrown out.
- However, the judge agreed to remove the state's chief financial officer, Jimmy Patronis, as a defendant.
Get up to speed fast: protection payment defendant DeSantis and other state officials for his effort to transport migrants, saying it violated the state program because the migrants were not in the country illegally and their flight did not originate in Florida.
- At least two other lawsuits have been filed over the matter.
By the numbers: The state faces a heavy price for the whole affair.
- The Florida Department of Transportation paid the aviation company that made the migrant flights almost $1.6 million.
- The state you may also end up paying up to $1 million to defend themselves in a class action lawsuit brought by the migrants.
DeSantis' office did not immediately respond to Axios for comment.
