DeSantis names Moms for Liberty co-founder to Florida ethics panel
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday appointed Tina Descovich, a co-founder of the conservative parental rights group Moms for Liberty, to the Florida Commission on Ethics.
The move gives the Republican governor a staunch GOP ally on the panel responsible for weighing complaints against public officials in the state, which recently saw one remember resign after a conflict-of-interest violation. Aside from organizing the growing — and maligned — parental advocacy group, Descovich is a former school board member and runs a Florida political committee that helped some conservatives win local education elections in 2022.
Descovich’s appointment underscores how Moms for Liberty has risen to prominence in Florida under the DeSantis administration, which has emphasized rooting out any perception of liberal “indoctrination” in the state’s public schools through legislation and the Department of Education. Last year, DeSantis, a Republican presidential candidate, appointed Esther Byrd, a Moms for Liberty member in Duval County and the wife of Republican Secretary of State Cord Byrd, to the state Board of Education. The governor also appointed another Moms for Liberty co-founder, Sarasota County school board member Bridget Ziegler, to the board overseeing Walt Disney Co.’s special district in central Florida.
“I am honored to be appointed by Governor DeSantis to this important statewide commission,” Descovich said in a statement. “The Florida Ethics Commission is charged with serving as the guardian of the standards of conduct for public officers and employees as well as safeguarding public trust. It will be a privilege to serve the state I love as a member of this commission. “