According to reports published Wednesday, homebuilding magnate MoriHosseini donated a high-end golf simulator to Florida Governor’s Mansion after Ron DeSantis was elected.
Reuters reported the stories first, and the Washington Post quickly followed. Both sides of the debate were triggered by these stories.
Hosseini has supported Republican candidates for many years, including DeSantis. This support dates back to when he was in Congress.
Washington Post reported that the cost of an AboutGolf simulator begins at $27.500 and that curved screen simulators start at $69,500.
According to the newspaper, Hosseini let DeSantis use his private jet at least 12 times, and also hosted DeSantis for a trip in 2018 where he played golf at Augusta National Golf Club, which is a prestigious and exclusive club.
Hosseini did not respond immediately to a comment request Wednesday. He is the chairman and CEO of ICI Homes in Daytona Beach. In a Reuters statement, he stated that the donation “was entirely permissible” under Florida law.
Hosseini said the simulator was also provided in the residence gym as it has been done before, to be used by the family, staff and guests during the current administration and any future ones.
The Post cited an acknowledgement letter sent to Hosseini in 2019 by James Uthmeier. At the time, he was a lawyer for the Governor and is now the Chief of Staff. In the letter, Uthmeier acknowledged that the golf simulator equipment lent had been received.
The equipment will be kept in the Florida Governor’s Mansion’s gym, and you will receive it immediately on request. Uthmeier wrote: “I have approved and reviewed the circumstances of the loan to the Mansion Commission, and verified that it is permissible according to the Governor’s Ethics Code as well as Florida Statutory Code.”
The Reuters article included confirmation from an installer who travelled to Tallahassee, Ohio from Ohio to instruct the governor on the use of the simulator equipment.
Gov. Ron DeSantis is shown in this photo campaigning on Saturday at the 8th Annual Basque Fry in Gardnerville, Nevada. A homebuilding magnate, Mori Hosseini from Ormond Beach, loaned him a costly golf simulator for the Governor’s Mansion.
The news of the loan sparked a rapid reaction from DeSantis opponents, who are supporting former President Donald Trump in his bid to win the Republican nomination for 2024.
Jason Miller, a Trump ally, tweeted a link to ‘Ron DeSantis Florida Swamp in Action.
Rick Wilson, founder of the Lincoln Project and a Republican strategist based in Florida, tweeted: “Damn these elites with their private jets and golf simulators.”
Cryptid Politics is a Twitter account which supports DeSantis. It wrote: “WaPo attempts hit piece on RonDeSantis and buries lede stating that the golf simulator loan has been reviewed and approved according to FL Statutory Code.
The question is whether the governor received the golf machine as a gift. Florida law requires that all gifts over $100 be reported.
Ben Wilcox of Florida Integrity told Reuters that “in my opinion, it undermines the reason why we require gifts be disclosed.”
Caroline Klancke is an attorney and executive director of Florida Ethics Institute. She sent an email Wednesday to The News-Journal in which she suggested that the answer to whether or not the gift was given to the Governor’s Mansion Commission or to an agency would depend on a number of factors.
She wrote: “Was the property used exclusively for private purposes or was it kept in a building for public use?” Does the agency have any rules that govern such loans or gifts of tangible personal property?
Hosseini, who is a graduate of the University of Florida, founded Volusia County’s ICI Homes in 1981. He has since built thousands of houses and developed some of Florida’s largest master-development communities. He is also the board chairman of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
