DeSantis is raking in the DeVos family fortune in large part thanks to his anti-CRT legislation
It’s no surprise that President Trump’s former Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, and her family would back Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential run. Because of course this family with practically zero experience in actual education are big fans of DeSantis’ ongoing war against teaching real American history (in all its brutality) and education that includes discussing gender differences and sexual orientation in classrooms.
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According to reporting from Salon, DeSantis’ campaign records show that between the middle of 2021 to Feb. 2022, the DeVos family gave a ton of money to the super PAC Friends of Ron DeSantis or to DeSantis himself. From Betsy DeVos’ husband, son, grandson, niece, and others, the total comes to just over $ 280,000.
DeVos has one goal in mind, one she shares with a lot of right-wing conservatives: End public education and divert the money to charter or private schools.
<p><a href="https://linktr.ee/dailykosthebrief">Listen and subscribe to Daily Kos' The Brief podcast with Markos Moulitsas and Kerry Eleveld</a></p> <div class="dk-editor-embed center-block"> <a href="#">Embedded Content</a></div> <p>In an interview with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJYFPMLuVRE">The Gathering</a>, <a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/01/betsy-devos-christian-schools-vouchers-charter-education-secretary/">Mother Jones reports</a> that when DeVos was asked about taxpayer vouchers and Christian schools, she said, “Our desire is to confront the culture in ways that will continue to advance God’s kingdom.”</p> <p>Conservatives such as DeVos and DeSantis also seem hellbent on banning books, most by or about LGBTQ or people of color. They’ve turned critical race theory (CRT) into a boogeyman poised to pounce on our children and turn them against God, each other, and their white classmates. </p> <p>DeSantis clearly laid out his intentions with his bill titled “Stop Wrongs Against Our Kids and Employees Act," aka the “Stop W.O.K.E. Act.”</p> <p>"Our legislation will defend any money for K-12 going to CRT consultants," the <a href="https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/12/15/2069384/-Gov-DeSantis-continues-in-his-efforts-to-out-Trump-Trump-with-ridiculous-new-Stop-W-O-K-E-Act">governor said at a press conference in Dec. 2021</a>. "No taxpayer dollars should be used to teach our kids to hate our country or hate each other."</p> <p>The bill didn’t just deny kids from learning the complete history of the nation—it also grants Florida parents the right to sue teachers if they believe their kids are being taught CRT. </p> <p>"They want to tear at the fabric of our society and our culture," <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmDf9rKqfls">DeSantis warned at the time he introduced the bill</a>. "They want to delegitimize the founding of the country and the Constitution." Adding that the term "equity" is used to mask critical race theory and is used by people to "smuggle in their ideology.”</p> <p>On Mar. 10, DeSantis’ anti-CRT bill passed both chambers of the Florida legislature, and it is currently on its way to the governor’s desk to be signed. </p> <p>It’s obvious DeSantis has the White House in his sights, and that he believes the path is paved with money from wealthy conservative families like the DeVoses. And to keep the coffers filled, he must placate them by giving them their coveted bigoted curriculum. </p> <p>Aidan Johnson, a spokesperson for the Democratic PAC American Bridge, criticized DeSantis in a <a href="https://www.salon.com/2022/04/04/betsy-devos-is-back--and-her-family-is-flooding-florida-gov-ron-desantis-with-cash/">statement to Salon:</a></p> <blockquote> <p>"While millions of Floridians are struggling to make ends meet from rising costs and a pandemic that Ron DeSantis has ignored, he is focused on his quixotic presidential bid and pleasing his billionaire backers. … He cares more about catering to extremists within the Republican Party than keeping Floridians safe.”</p> </blockquote> <p></p>