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Supermarket giant Publix dismissed claims of a pay-to-play arrangement after a _60 Minutes_ segment suggested its vaccine distribution deal resulted from lofty donations to Florida Gov. Ron
DeSantis’s political campaign. “The irresponsible suggestion that there was a connection between campaign contributions made to Governor DeSantis and our willingness to join other pharmacies
in support of the state’s vaccine distribution efforts is absolutely false and offensive,” the company said in a statement on Monday. RECOMMENDED STORIES DESANTIS PROHIBITS VACCINE
PASSPORTS IN FLORIDA WITH EXECUTIVE ORDER The Florida-based company added it was proud to have administered more than 1.5 million doses of vaccines. Last month, DeSantis dismissed the idea
that there was any correlation between the partnership with Publix and his campaign funds. “Publix, as you know, donated $100,000 to your campaign,” reporter Sharyn Alfonsi said to DeSantis
during a press conference in March. “And then you rewarded them with the exclusive rights to distribute the vaccination in Palm Beach.” “First of all, what you’re saying is wrong,” DeSantis
said. “How is that not pay to play?” Alfonsi asked. “That’s a fake narrative,” DeSantis replied. “I met with the county mayor. I met with the administrator. I met with all the folks at Palm
Beach County, and I said, ‘Here’s some of the options: We can do more drive-thru sites. We can give more to hospitals. We can do the Publix.’ And they said, ‘We think that would be the
easiest thing for our residents.’” The arrangement between Publix and DeSantis faced public scrutiny after a CBS _60 Minutes_ segment revealed the company gave $100,000 to the governor’s
political action committee weeks before the partnership was announced. Palm Beach County Mayor Dave Kerner, a Democrat, defended the partnership between the state and Publix, saying he had
requested DeSantis expand the partnership to his area, as well as expand mass vaccination centers across the county. Kerner also claims he offered to give his perspective to _60 Minutes_,
but they declined an interview. “The reporting was not just based on bad information – it was intentionally false,” Kerner said in a statement. “I know this because I offered to provide my
insight into Palm Beach County’s vaccination efforts and _60 Minutes_ declined.” Kerner also praised DeSantis’s coordination with local officials on vaccine distribution, saying he has been
“incredibly supportive.” “We asked and he delivered. They had that information, and they left it out because it kneecaps their narrative. We have confronted this pandemic for over a year.
Our residents, like all Americans, are tired. And the media is making it worse. They are hellbent on dividing us for cheap views and clicks. 60 Minutes should be ashamed,” Kerner said. A
spokesperson for _60 Minutes_ defended the report. “We requested an interview with Gov. Ron DeSantis, he declined; We spoke to State Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz twice, but
he declined to be interviewed on camera for our story until well after our deadline. The idea we ignored their perspective is untrue. Counter to his statement yesterday, we also spoke on the
record with Palm Beach County Mayor David Kerner. For over 50 years, the facts reported by _60 Minutes_ have often stirred debate and prompted strong reactions. Our story Sunday night
speaks for itself,” the spokesperson said in a statement shared with the _Washington Examiner_. DeSantis, who is up for reelection next year, announced in January that Publix would begin
distributing COVID-19 vaccines through its pharmacies. The company received 70,000 vaccines at its central distribution hub in Lakeland, but it’s unclear where the shots will be distributed,
according to data collected by the _Miami Herald_. Florida is one of the leading states moving toward lifting restrictions related to the pandemic. The state will reportedly be the site of
the “Million Maskless March and Mask Burning” next Saturday in protest of face mask mandates. The Sunshine State currently has no statewide mask mandate. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE
WASHINGTON EXAMINER Florida has had more than 2 million coronavirus cases and over 33,000 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus tracker. The state has vaccinated more
than 6 million people, 3.6 million of whom are fully vaccinated, according to the state’s Department of Health. The _Washington Examiner_ reached out to DeSantis’s office for comment but
did not immediately hear back.