Sen. Rick Scott pushes video of local 'business owner' who's really a GOP official

Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) posted a video on Monday featuring a constituent who wants Congress to end the impeachment process and get back to work. But Scott neglected to mention that the “veteran & business owner” happens to be a prominent Republican official.

Scott introduced Joel “Hawksley from Orlando, FL” as a “veteran & business owner who wants congress to quit playing political games & focus on making sure our military members, veterans & their families are taken care of.” He posted a 58-second video of Hawksley touting his public relations firm and calling on Congress to “stop the madness” and “protect and defend the Constitution today.”

Unmentioned in the video: Hawksley is the executive director of the Orange County Republicans. Orange County, which includes Orlando, is one of the largest counties in Florida.

The clip was part of Scott’s “Let’s Get Back to Work” series. Each shows a resident of Florida who claims to be against impeachment and demands the Senate return to legislating, though prior to the impeachment trial the Senate did little of that.

More than 400 pieces of legislation passed the House of Representatives last year, but they have been blocked by the GOP Senate majority. Instead, the chamber spent most of its time voting to confirm Donald Trump’s conservative nominees to the executive branch and judiciary.

It is unlikely that the Senate will actually “get back to work” any time soon. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) admitted on Sunday that the Republican majority plans to launch new investigations into the Bidens and the whistleblower who brought Trump’s Ukraine scandal to the attention of Congress.

Scott did not immediately respond to an inquiry about why he was not transparent about Hawksley’s partisan role.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.