DeSantis supporter smeared rival as a 'career criminal' — but is silent about ally’s cocaine charge

In Florida politics, State Rep. Randy Fine — a MAGA Republican and ally of Gov. Ron DeSantis — has a reputation for being a major attack dog. Fine, his critics say, is big on character assassination, calling Democrat Phil Moore (who ran for a city council seat in Palm Bay, Florida) a "career criminal" in 2022.

But journalist Michael Daly, in an op-ed published by the Daily Beast on February 21, slams Fine for saying "nothing" about a cocaine/DUI case involving his ally Peter Filberto.

Filberto, the son of a former Palm Bay mayor, is the Republican who successfully ran against Moore in a special election in March 2022. But on Friday, February 17, Filberto announced his resignation. Filberto, Florida Today reported, was facing charges that included DUI and felony possession of cocaine.

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Daly notes that in 2022, Fine (who is running for a seat in the Florida State Senate) came down on Moore with a vengeance because of "a few traffic infractions" and "an unsubstantiated suspicion of perjury in a residency claim." In a Facebook post, Fine wrote, "'Criminal Phil' Moore is Back; Under Investigation for Perjury in Palm Bay City Council. Special Election serial criminal Phil Moore, has been able to perjure his way onto the ballot for the Palm Bay City Council Special Election…. Some criminals just don't know when to stop."

Fine praised Filberto as the law-and-order candidate in that race for a Palm Bay City Council seat, and Daly observes that Filberto "won with Fine’s enthusiastic backing."

Daly explains, "According to court papers, Filiberto sped through two stop signs before taking a tumble while making an evasive U-turn. He was arrested after refusing to take a breath test and was allegedly found to have 10.6 grams of cocaine in his shoe. Fine has said exactly nothing about his protégé’s drug bust."

Peter Filberto's father Frank Filberto was a strident, outspoken supporter of the War on Drugs when he served as mayor of Palm Bay back in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Frank Filberto said of Americans facing drug charges, "Lock these people up like rats. Treat them like rats. Contract with Mexican jails. You'll never see them again."

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Read Michael Daly’s full op-ed for the Daily Beast at this link.