Florida Judge Facing Reprimand for Donating Roughly $30K to Left-Leaning Political Causes
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The Florida Supreme Court called for a state judge to be fined after she donated nearly $30,000 to left-leaning candidates and causes, including Joe Biden. The post Florida Judge Facing Reprimand for Donating Roughly $30K to Left-Leaning Political Causes first appeared on Mediaite.
(Photos via: Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida on YouTube and NinthCircuit.org)
The Florida Supreme Court overwhelmingly called for a state judge to be fined after she donated nearly $30,000 to left-leaning candidates and causes, including former President Joe Biden.
Beyond the ex-president, Justice Diana M. Tennis donated to former Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and 17 PACs like the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
She admitted to making more than 900 donations totaling $29,154 since 2016, a violation of Florida judicial canon that prohibits judges from making political donations.
But Tennis pleaded ignorance during a recent review with the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission, with Law.com reporting that she believed judges were only barred from donating to state politicians.
After her hearing, the state Supreme Court voted 6-1 in late June to reject her stipulation to a public reprimand.
The court said Tennis should also be fined for her habitual donations, but did not say how much that fine should be.
The court said:
Should the parties agree to the imposition of a fine in addition to a public reprimand, a revised Findings and Recommendations of Discipline and revised Stipulation should be filed with the Court within 30 days of the date of this order.
If the parties do not agree to these terms, the parties must inform the Court within 30 days that they have not reached an agreement. In that event, this case will be returned for a hearing before the Judicial Qualifications Commission.
Tennis is a judge in the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, which covers Orange County and Osceola County. She has been part of the court since 2014 and her current term ends in early 2027.
Tennis has been assigned to family court since 2023 and has focused on domestic issues for years before that.
Prior to her time as a judge, she worked as a lawyer in private practice. Tennis graduated from the University of Florida’s law school in 1992.
The post Florida Judge Facing Reprimand for Donating Roughly $30K to Left-Leaning Political Causes first appeared on Mediaite.