Michael Barfield

New filing rocks the Maya Kowalski case: She now accuses former lead attorney Greg Anderson of inappropriate conduct, raising new questions as the case heads toward a retrial. Read more: floridatrident.org/take-care-of-m… #MayaKowalski #KowalskiCase #FloridaCourts #LegalNews

Top state officials are hiding from the public a grand jury's report on the Hope Florida investigation. The Florida Trident is challenging the secret court proceeding. floridatrident.org/wp-content/upl… Courts are not allowed to operate in the dark. #SunshineWeek #ReleasetheReport

A federal judge blocked @GovRonDeSantis from declaring CAIR a "terrorist" organization. "The First Amendment bars the Governor from continuing the troubling trend of using an executive office to make a political statement at the expense of others’ constitutional rights," wrote Judge Walker.

High electric costs are top-of-mind for many Florida voters, and a powerful Republican lawmaker has tried to tackle them. For the second year in a row, though, he said FPL killed the bill: tampabay.com/news/business/…

BREAKING NEWS: A Florida grand jury has returned a presentment in the Hope Florida investigation — but the State Attorney’s Office is refusing to release it, citing grand jury secrecy under § 905.28. If no presentment existed, there’d be nothing to withhold. Here’s what we know 👇floridatrident.org/grand-jury-ret…

A strip of publicly owned conservation land along Lemon Bay has disappeared from county maps after a controversial push by a Sarasota commissioner. What happened — and why it matters for taxpayers and mangroves. #FloridaTrident #Conservation #Mangroves floridatrident.org/public-conserv…

What started as campaign opposition research is now a criminal investigation. We dug into the audits, emails, and records behind the FDLE probe of the former Sarasota Tax Collector’s office. floridatrident.org/campaign-recor…

Seems odd, but CNBC claims Trump asked Bondi to prosecute him in the subheading of this article. cnbc.com/2025/10/23/tru…

BREAKING: Sarasota Assistant County Administrator Mark Cunningham has resigned amid fallout from the county’s stormwater failures during the 2024 floods. His departure follows a joint investigation by Florida Trident and Suncoast Searchlight and calls for accountability. Full story ➡️ floridatrident.org/breaking-saras…

And who instructed Secure Florida’s Future and Save Our Society From Drugs to ask for $5 million each from the Hope Florida Foundation? James Uthmeier. tampabay.com/news/florida-p… (19/x)

That’s what the executive director of Save Our Society From Drugs told state Rep. Alex Andrade, the Pensacola Republican who has been presiding over hearings into the Hope Florida scandal. miamiherald.com/news/politics-… (20/x)

NEW: DeSantis officials steered $10 million of a $67 million legal settlement to a charity overseen by his wife. A top Republican believes it was illegal. By @aglorios and me (and we link to the settlement): tampabay.com/news/florida-p…

Donald Trump killed “congestion” pricing in New York. Meanwhile, Florida officials are celebrating “dynamic” toll pricing in Central Florida - of as much as $21 for a one-way, 21-mile trip. The latest look at Florida - the most-tolled state in America. orlandosentinel.com/2025/03/05/int…

@bradentonherald Wow! Publix will now have to change their "Where shopping is a pleasure" slogan.

18-year-old follows woman around Publix, stabs her in neck with scissors, Florida cops say bradenton.com/news/state/flo…

Sarasota County reverses course on Hi Hat Ranch land deal. floridatrident.org/sarasota-count…

Backroom deal with developer sends huge bill to Sarasota County taxpayers. "The only guarantee for taxpayers on this so-called ‘deal’ is that we’ll be paying millions to sit in traffic,” said Myakka resident Randy Boyd. floridatrident.org/sarasota-count… @FLCTRGA

Since I was first elected to the @FLSenate, in 2018, Florida has spent tens of millions of dollars on ineffective immigration programs that have done nothing more than enrich the profits of a few companies, and the profiles of a few politicians. So, how did we get here? 🧵

Deadly Justice: How a Preventable Tragedy Unfolded #DefendDemocracy floridatrident.org/deadly-justice…

If you want to know why 57 percent support isn't enough to pass a ballot initiative in Florida, the answer is these corporations: