Orlando

Rep. Thompson says FDLE Ignores Groveland Four Exoneration Pleas, Retaliates

Published

5 years ago

July 20, 2021

ORLANDO, Fla. – In 2019, State Representative Geraldine F. Thompson (D – Windermere) and Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried met in Fried’s offices with administrators of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) to discuss exoneration of the Groveland Four—four young African American men who in 1949 were falsely accused of raping a white woman in Groveland, Florida. After being represented by Thurgood Marshall, the United States Supreme Court granted a new trial for the Groveland Four in 1951. Though the Florida Cabinet, at the urging of Commissioner Fried, Representative Thompson and others, granted a pardon to the Groveland Four on January 11, 2019, Representative Thompson understood that a pardon is something that is granted to guilty individuals and she continued to push for exoneration to clear the names and have the innocence of the Groveland Four acknowledged.

Directors of FDLE indicated during the January 2019 meeting that they would review all information regarding the Groveland Four and issue an opinion. Nothing from FDLE has been forthcoming regarding the Groveland Four in 2021, though members of the families of the men have pressed for resolution. Representative Thompson’s contacts with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to urge exoneration of the Groveland Four have been ignored and instead FDLE filed a complaint against Representative Thompson with the Florida Commission on Ethics regarding an appropriations’ request that then Senator Thompson made for the Sankofa Project in 2016. The complaint from FDLE to the Florida Commission on Ethics was filed on April 28, 2021, outside of the five-year statute of limitations under which the Ethics Commission is bound.

Representative Thompson said, “This is reprisal from Governor DeSantis and his appointees including the Florida Secretary of State, Laurel Lee, who referred the Sankofa issue, despite no findings of improprieties, to the U. S. Attorney of the Middle District where she once worked. She also once worked for U. S. District Judge James Moody, the father of State Attorney General, Ashley Moody. Lee was appointed as judge by former Governor Rick Scott and as Secretary of State by Ron DeSantis and is married to former Florida Senator Tom Lee. The referrals from Laurel Lee and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement follow a lawsuit which Thompson filed in 2020 with the Florida Supreme Court. Representative Thompson won that lawsuit through a ruling by the Florida Supreme Court when the Court ruled against DeSantis and affirmed Thompson’s contention that the Governor acted unlawfully to appoint a constitutionally unqualified political crony to the Florida Supreme Court. “There was no finding of criminal wrongdoing regarding Sankofa after numerous examinations, so this is a reach and another approach to attack me in a different arena even though it is outside of the five-year statute of limitations which applies to complaints with the Florida Commission on Ethics. This is straight out of the Trump play book to use governmental agencies to bully and silence detractors,” said Representative Thompson.

Golf

Russell Henley Wins Red Cardigan at 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Published

1 year ago

March 9, 2025

Mike Brodsky

Russell Henley wins the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Russell Henley wins his first red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today, along with $4 million of the $20 million prize pool. The red cardigan was first awarded in 2017, in memory of Arnold Palmer who passed the year before. This is Henley’s fifth win on the PGA Tour.

Russell Henley is greeted by his family on the 18th green after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

Henley finished at 11 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 70 today. Collin Morikawa finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Scottie Scheffler, finished today at 4 under par, tied for 11th place.

Scottie Scheffler tees off at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo Credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for The Players Championship. The winner will walk away with $4.5 million of the $25 million up for grabs. This is the PGA Tour’s largest regular season purse. Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.

NFL

UCF Hall of Fame Inductee Shaquem Griffin Launches Search For Greatness Combine With Joey Grant and GMTM

Published

1 year ago

October 30, 2024

Mike Brodsky

UCF Hall of Fame Inductee Shaquem Griffin Launches Search For Greatness Combine With Joey Grant and GMTM

Former UCF football players Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant have partnered with GMTM to launch their Search for Greatness Combine at UCF on Saturday, November 9th. They’re giving local athletes a chance to showcase their talents and explore new sports opportunities. Griffin will be inducted into the UCF Hall of Fame on Saturday, November 2nd, during halftime of the Arizona vs. UCF football game. He is remembered for his tenacity, setting an NFL Combine record with the fastest 40-yard dash by a linebacker, and playing four seasons in the NFL, overcoming the challenge of only having one hand. He is now training to make the USA Paralympic Track and Field Team and hopes to compete in the 2028 Olympics. Joey Grant, the co-founder and CEO of GMTM, is a former UCF team captain, playing mostly Center for the Knights from 2011-2015.

Participation at the upcoming combine is free and invite-only, targeting athletes over the age of 18. To be considered, athletes must submit a highlight video via GMTM’s platform, showcasing their athleticism. GMTM will evaluate submissions and invite the most promising athletes to participate in the combine. The goal for this year’s event is to get 1,000 athletes to submit videos and be part of the combine process. Athletes chosen will receive personalized invites with further instructions, including event time slots and details. The athletes will be evaluated for their key athletic traits, to identify opportunities for them across multiple Olympic sports or professional sports programs. To learn more, or to apply for the combine, visit: https://gmtm.com/articles/the-search-for-greatness-at-ucf-with-shaquem-griffin-what-you-need-to-know.

Florida National News spoke with Shaquem and Joey about the combine, college football in the era of NIL and the transfer portal, and Griffin’s hall of fame induction. You can watch the full interview here:

Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant interview

Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com and www.FloridaSportsChannel.com for more.

Florida

Scottie Scheffler Wins Second Red Cardigan at 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Published

2 years ago

March 10, 2024

Mike Brodsky

Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Scottie Scheffler wins his second red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today, along with $4 million of the $20 million prize pool. The red cardigan was first awarded in 2017, in memory of Arnold Palmer who passed the year before. Scheffler first won the API in 2022.

Scottie Scheffler wins the Arnold Palmer Invitational. (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

The number one ranked golfer in the world, Scheffler finished at 15 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 66 today. Wyndham Clark finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Kurt Kitayama, did not make the cut, this weekend, finishing 7 over par after the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday.

This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for the 50th anniversary of The Players Championship. The winner will walk away with $4.5 million of the $25 million up for grabs. This is the PGA Tour’s largest regular season purse. Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.