The supposed “problem” that 60 Minutes highlighted was that Florida’s government has used the popular grocery chain Publix to help it distribute COVID-19 vaccines, that Publix gave $100,000 to Governor DeSantis’s re-election efforts last year, and that the combination of the two represents a quid pro quo.
This claim is absurd on its face. Not only is Publix the largest and most widely trusted grocery-store chain in the state of Florida, but the majority of its 831 stores in the state have well-equipped pharmacies at which Floridians are accustomed to getting flu shots. Irrespective of any other logistical considerations, it would have been surprising if Publix had not been one of the major players in the state’s effort. It is true that Publix has recently given $100,000 to Ron DeSantis’s gubernatorial reelection bid. It is also true that it gave a million dollars to the progressive Urban League last year, and that, back in 2018, it gave $100,000 to Democratic campaigns in the state. To believe that there is a connection between this routine behavior and decisions that were made during an unforeseen once-in-a-century pandemic is to stretch oneself to the breaking point.
The producers of 60 Minutes know this, which is why they edited out the portion of Governor DeSantis’s answer that explains beyond question why Publix was chosen for its role. In the offending segment, CBS’s Sharyn Alfonsi is seen asking DeSantis, “Publix, as you know, donated $100,000 to your campaign, and then you rewarded them with the exclusive rights to distribute the vaccination in Palm Beach. How is that not pay for play?” But only DeSantis’s initial response is shown in full. Deliberately missing from the governor’s comments was his detailed answer laying out how the distribution system has worked in Florida in general, and how Publix has slotted into it in particular. In the unaired portion, DeSantis says:
First of all, the first pharmacies that had [the vaccine] were CVS and Walgreens and they had a long-term care mission, so they were going to the long-term care facilities. They got the vaccine in the middle of December, they started going to the long-term care facilities the third week in December to do LTCs. So that was their mission, that was very important and we trusted them to do that. As we got into January, we wanted to expand the distribution points.
So yes, you had the counties, you had some drive-thru sites, you had hospitals that were doing a lot, but we wanted to get it into communities more. So we reached out to other retail pharmacies: Publix, Walmart, obviously CVS and Walgreens had to finish that mission and we said we’re going to use you as soon as you’re done with that.
None of this was apparent to viewers of 60 Minutes. The show did not note…
