this post was submitted on 03 Aug 2025
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Orange County Florida

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[–] muusemuuse@sh.itjust.works 46 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Then force their hand. Make them remove you. Fucking pussy.

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 10 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Because they will, it's not a bluff. DeSatan has removed several duly elected Democrats from Central Florida, and replaced them with his own handpicked people. It's actually become routine at this point. He replaced a popular prosecutor, so she ran again, and won again. DeSatan's handpicked stooge couldn't even win reelection in the Republican PRIMARY, and tried to run as an independent. Even Republicans thought it was wrong.

Last month, they arrested the Osceola County sheriff for being involved in a gambling operation that was run in full view of the world. It was registered with the state, all business papers were filed properly, the "casino" was open to the public on the main drag with giant windows. Anyone driving by could see the machines through the windows, and see what it was. Obviously, they all thought they were operating legally.

Then DeSatan and Homeland Security Investigations (ever heard of them before?), swooped in and arrested him, and replaced him with a guy with a long history of immigration enforcement.

The twice elected sheriff that was replaced was Florida's only Hispanic sheriff in a Democratic stronghold with a 40% Hispanic population, who wasn't cooperating with ICE. When they arrested him, they kept him in jail for over a week, despite the fact that he had the money for his bond, while they spewed their propaganda, and he couldn't respond to it.

BTW, when the station took a break from the coverage, gasping in pearl-clutching tones about the "massive $20 million dollar gambling operation," they went directly to a commercial showing people celebrating how much fun they were having gambling at the local Hard Rock Casino, which runs a multi-billion gambling operation 30 minutes down the road. Within the same commercial break, they also ran an ad for a gambling phone app that can be played anywhere.

But it's the Democratic, Hispanic sheriff that's the threat.

And perhaps the worst thing about this absolute assault on democracy and institutional election fraud is that it hasn't made the national news at all. Florida Democrats serve at the pleasure of the Florida Governor. If he doesn't like them, he'll simply replace them with a MAGA, and nobody says a word.

Demmings is a decent guy, and he's not afraid of anything, so when he says he knows that DeSatan will replace the entire Democratic infrastructure of Central Florida, he's 100% right. This way he stays in power, where he can still fight down the road.

[–] LePoisson@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

perhaps the worst thing about this absolute assault on democracy and institutional election fraud is that it hasn't made the national news at all. Florida Democrats serve at the pleasure of the Florida Governor. If he doesn't like them, he'll simply replace them with a MAGA, and nobody says a word.

I don't understand how that's even legal.

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Republicans have been legislating their corruption for decades. There was talk of recalling Rick Scott, and that's when everybody found out that the Republican legislature had prohibited recalls back during the Jeb Bush era, so he couldn't be recalled for his role in the cheating scandal that got his idiot brother elected president.

So when democratically elected Democratic DA Monique Worrell was replaced by a DeSatan operative for no reason, she sued, but it turns out that the governor of FLORIDA can legally do that. So she ran again, her opponent lost in the primary, and easily won her reelection. DeSatan decided not to replace her a second time.

Instead, he had Homeland Security replace the sheriff. He also replaced the leadership of the Kissimmee Police Department over a minor scandal, when an officer was recorded kicking a prisoner in the face. Police have straight up murdered suspects, and the police chief wasn't removed from office over it.

They haven't removed any other positions outside of Central Florida. Clearly, the hispanic-dominated central Florida counties of Osceola and Orange are under siege by the MAGA government, and the rest of America doesn't know it.

[–] LePoisson@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

This feels like it should be blatantly against the Florida State Constitution or something JFC - like the fact a Governor can even do that is absolutely wild.

I get they typically, at least in my state, will get to replace a rep if one is removed for xyz reasons but not to the extent of whatever fuckery is going on in the land of DeSantis (honestly still can't believe he won that election).

[–] rumba@lemmy.zip 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It is now the constituents job to remove him from office. If your politicians will not stand up for you you need to stand up against them

[–] anarchy79@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Constituents lol.

The social contract has been ripped in half. There IS no representation, democracy is dead, get it in your head. Get a fucking gun, because they're armed and about to stomp on your face with a leather boot forever.

[–] rumba@lemmy.zip 5 points 1 day ago

I did not put restrictions on HOW they remove him from office.

[–] anarchy79@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

But what about his money and power? WHAT ABOUT HIS MONEY AND POWER?! Have some humanity, guy!

[–] teawrecks@sopuli.xyz 38 points 2 days ago

“I signed the damn thing...,” Demings said. “I can’t let our entire board of county commissioners and myself be removed from office.”

What good is your board when they just let it all happen anyway?!

[–] M0oP0o@mander.xyz 5 points 1 day ago
[–] PhilipTheBucket@quokk.au 133 points 2 days ago (3 children)

You fucking ass hole.

Sure, people are getting snatched and sent away, to never see their families, maybe never taste freedom again, and in the meantime torture. But if someone wants to remove you from office, all of a sudden it's a problem.

[–] wjrii@lemmy.world 61 points 2 days ago (5 children)

“I signed the damn thing...,” Demings said. “I can’t let our entire board of county commissioners and myself be removed from office.” The Mayor described much anxiety filled the county administration building this week after the Attorney General’s threat...

Demings says that based on the county’s reading of the addendum, ICE can request that county corrections officers transport detainees. However, the Orange County Jail can deny a transport based on its operational ability. “If we have the capacity to transport, I highly doubt that there will be such a time in the near future,” Demings said....

County Attorney Jeff Newton says by the mayor signing the agreement with ICE, it puts the conflict in the proper forum—court—if there ever were to be litigation. The mayor made clear that his opinion on the ICE agreement has not changed since Wednesday. He still is against the federal government having the ability to take county corrections officers out of their jurisdiction to transport detainees. “What I’ve changed is the process by which we will continue to fight,” Demings said.

Maybe a better person would become a martyr and throw away their official levers of power, but for public comments by a politician in a MAGA-led state, these are probably about as good as you're likely to get.

[–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.dbzer0.com 37 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Meh, if he quit people call him a coward and you get a replacement who is going to be further right wing. (Because you can't hire anyone who won't sign it). The county was damned because the state legislature isn't fighting it. In the end a state can maybe refuse, but counties don't have really any way to stop someone arresting them. Maybe the courts, but I assume a state/federal court would override the county.

It is a bad sign that businesses aren't speaking up though (that I have seen). Orange county is Orlando, and part of Disney World is in it.

I remember something about county people being replaced by DeSantis and nobody being happy about it, but I'm not from there so I don't remember who. If this is them, well,

[–] ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 9 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Be like all the other people who resigned or got fired in protest of what our shit government was forcing them to do. The position just gets handed down to the closest marginally qualified person willing to be a lapdog and do whatever they're told.

If the option you're presented with is to sign or be replaced and they have the authority to do it, then it's a shit option to let yourself get replaced when you know you're replacement would be willing to roll over on everything.

[–] Zaktor@sopuli.xyz 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

If replacing you is the better course, they would do that regardless of your choice. They can keep manufacturing worse and worse ultimatums. They don't just speed run that because there is a danger to unilaterally removing democratically elected officials and they'd rather officials just comply with their desires and maintain the veneer of peace and order. They're boiling frogs all across the nation while the leadership of various government and private institutions decides "it's just one capitulation to preserve my ability to resist later when the real crisis arrives".

[–] ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You can't be replaced "just because". There are still some rules set in place.

[–] Zaktor@sopuli.xyz 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Sure, but those rules can be trivially triggered by just introducing new ultimatums. If they want you out, they can manufacture new reasons endlessly until they decide you have failed.

[–] ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 0 points 1 day ago

No. There are only certain orders that are legal ultimatums and this order was above the guy and there was no legal recourse around it. You want someone who tries, or someone who fights nothing?

[–] wjrii@lemmy.world 9 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Yeah, to be clear, while I wish we lived in a country where resigning out of principal would have a good end result, I think it’s better this guy stays and does what he can, which looks like it will be slow-playing and finding every loophole he can until he gets sued.

[–] ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Seems most of the people in this comment thread don't understand this and are shitting All over him.

Sadly Lemmy isn't exactly known for being the most nuanced group of people.

[–] PhilipTheBucket@quokk.au 16 points 2 days ago

I'm not saying he should quit and go home and start watching YouTube videos while the world around him collapses into fascism. I'm saying he should fight.

Lots of federal employees did the "Okay, fire me then" game when Trump demanded various things from them. It still takes time, effort, and organization to fill the roles they left behind. It slows things down. You can sue the administration for their blatantly illegal attempt to remove you. You can show up with a megaphone outside the office, now yelling about how it's a power grab. You can do something other than just going along with it.

This isn't even "just following orders," because he clearly knows it's wrong. But, he's still putting people on cattle cars, because they told him if he didn't, he'd lose his job. THE RIGHT ANSWER IN THAT SITUATION IS, EVEN IF NO OTHER OPTION IS AVAILABLE, TO LOSE YOUR FUCKING JOB.

[–] anarchy79@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

We have fascists, hard core fascists, and ultrafascists.

So, just regular fascist is a win here, folks!

[–] WindyRebel@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

Demings says that based on the county’s reading of the addendum, ICE can request that county corrections officers transport detainees

CAN request. Doesn’t say they have to though…

[–] OutlierBlue@lemmy.ca 28 points 2 days ago

Yet another one falls in line and lets fascism continue.

"Home of the brave" my ass.

[–] friend_of_satan@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago (3 children)

I hope he's removed from office at the ballot box.

That seems to be the polite option.

[–] Glitterbomb@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

That's one way

[–] anarchy79@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago

We could remove something alright.

[–] grue@lemmy.world 63 points 2 days ago (2 children)

You know what would also stop you from being removed from office? Having the police arrest the thugs trying to illegally remove you.

[–] Tedesche@lemmy.world 19 points 2 days ago

On Friday, the mayor said the County Attorney advised him to sign the agreement to avoid being removed from office.

Sounds like his legal counsel felt they did have legal grounds to remove him from office.

[–] misteloct@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

They're unfortunately a de facto 7th branch of our military. The United States Homeland Kidnapping Force.

[–] MasterBlaster@lemmy.world 49 points 2 days ago (3 children)

So now our local duly elected government only exist at the pleasure of our dear leader. It only took 6 months to destroy our country. Six months.

Violent revolutionvapoears to bev5he only remaining option.

[–] anarchy79@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago

Project 2025 is HALFWAY DONE.

project2025.observer/

Half. Way.

In five months.

[–] 60d@lemmy.ca 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Glorious leader hole in one every time! Biggest deal ever!

Murca sounds like North Korea now.

[–] MasterBlaster@lemmy.world 1 points 9 hours ago

Not yet. The dissenters haven't disappeared yet.

[–] krunklom@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Bur what about the droid attack on the wookies?

[–] MasterBlaster@lemmy.world 1 points 9 hours ago

Gotta love the occasional non-sequitor.

[–] anarchy79@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

I can't let this happen, I have standards and integrity, so I signed it, because I can't afford my posh countryside villa if I don't. It's all a big mess! So, anyway....

[–] k0e3@lemmy.ca 14 points 2 days ago

What a little removed.

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 30 points 2 days ago
[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 13 points 2 days ago (1 children)

“I would think that given everything that has occurred, I think they’ll be reasonable about that,” Demings said. “Plus, the agreement is not between us and the state of Florida. The agreement is between us and the federal government.”

🤨

[–] anarchy79@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

"You would think that rule of law and morality would matter to fascist scum, but apparently they don't care at all, so I guess I have no recourse but to do as they say!"

[–] andyburke@fedia.io 7 points 2 days ago
[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

Hey Jerry, you better hope there's no god after that choice.