July 15, 2026 • 9 mins
Ryan talks with Florida Politics Publisher Peter Schorsch about Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly responding to questions surrounding his past ties to a local alleged fraudster.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
So Ryan Gorman Show podcast presented by Farah and Farah
Accident Attorneys TAPA.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Let's bring in the publisher of Florida Politics, Peter Shore.
You can check out all of his work and all
of his team's fantastic reporting at Florida politics dot com. So, Peter,
little spat between David Jolly and Anna Pauline a Luna
pops up, and somehow you end up being right in
the middle of it. Why are you always in the
(00:28):
middle of these these back and forths between rival politicians.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
And then and then they say afterwards that nobody reads
me or you know, it doesn't matter that the best
part is right right, Yeah, it's that that is always
my favorite. Jay Collins's people, nobody reads that place or
that that that rag. And then you know they're sending
like twenty five emails asking us to cover his nineteenth
press conference this week or something like that.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
You know, so this is an issue, This is a big.
Speaker 5 (00:58):
Issue that Tama bay Toon has reported about it.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
It is a scandal involving Leo Gavoni and you're gonna
hear that name a lot this fall in Florida Politics.
He was basically in charge of Elder and Disability Trust
funds to a nine figure total, and he ended up
absconding with the money and has been indicted as in
(01:23):
jail right now for it. And now he's not been
found guilty, of course, but his main guy was David Jolly,
and we've known about this four years and in fact,
I will tell you now what I've been telling everybody
as this starts to percolate. I am surprised David even
rant for governor, knowing how big this scandal was and
(01:46):
how vulnerable he is on the issue.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
So APL brought up the issue.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
I think what has happened now is the Donalds campaign
has done their opposition research. They're pivoting to the general
and they see a big vulnerability.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
On this issue.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
APL, who's a big supporter of Byron Donalds, started to
raise it. David fired back pretty indignantly, and we're off
to the races now, happy to answer any questions about it.
I know the issue pretty well because I've done I have,
I have done work with David Joy. I always tell
people David Jolly loan needs the money for my to
(02:25):
buy my wife's engagement rank. I like David Jolly a
lot I've contributed it to him before that said, I've
thought that this situation is an achilles heel for him.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
We're joined by the publisher of Florida Politics, Peter Shorsch.
I remember, I don't know exactly when this was, but
it was a while ago, and we were talking about
David Jolly running for the Democratic nomination for governor. Might
have been when he when he first got into the race,
and now he's almost the presumptive nominee. I mean, there's
(03:01):
really not much of a primary happening with Orange County
Mayor Jerry Demings bowing out of the race because of
health issues. But I remember we had a conversation and
you brought this issue up about David Jolly, saying it
was going to be a big campaign issue.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
I think it is. I think it is, especially with.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
You know, the polling tightening. You have to figure the
it's not I don't want to say it's even the
Donald's campaign. I want to say I think it's bigger
than what people realize. They keep saying, like, hey, you
know that's going to be negative ads against Jolly, and
I'm like, I don't think people understand. Once we get
out of the primary, and once we get into you know,
(03:46):
the fall, and I think Donald's campaign will end up becoming,
you know, the number one race in the country, especially
since it's.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
Tight despite the registration advantage.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
For the Republicans. You have got the top priority for
Donald Trump being Byron Donald, and you've got his political people.
You know that Donald's is their guy. So I think
this turns into a one hund two hundred three hundred
million dollar campaign at the end of it, because it's
it's basically the future of MAGA is keeping the Florida stronghold.
(04:18):
And so you know, I keep saying to people this
it kind of I wouldn't be surprised if this turns
into twenty two years later, a swift boat level attack.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
So what is David Jolly saying in response to the
the talk about him being so closely connected to this
infamous fraudster.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
Well, he's I don't want to say he's pooh pooing it.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
He's taking the the he's acknowledging that the accusations against
Cavoni are serious, and they are pretty they are serious
and they're kind of ironclad. I I think he's trying
to distance himself and there was some laying. I was
surprised that he tried to put so many assertions out
(05:08):
in a video, and because I think it opens him up.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
To having those claim fact checked.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
And I keep saying, the folks, you know, it's not
the local media, it's not the Florida media. It's when
the Washington Post, it's when the New York Times when
they send twelve reporters down here.
Speaker 5 (05:27):
And we've seen this before, Roy Moore Platner up.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
In Maine, and I'm not kidding he had.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
David Jolly himself has not done any of those level things.
But those national organizations that have the investigative shops, they
are going to examine Cavoni and I will say there
is just a huge overlap.
Speaker 5 (05:45):
And then I will say, I don't even think the
Republicans need that.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
I think that they will get three or four victims
of this fraudster. And they will, and they will say, hey,
David Jolly was this guy's main guy, whether it be
general counsel or whatever the title is. They're going to
put him that in that camera frame with them, and
they're going to have somebody in a wheelchair saying that
(06:09):
David Jolly's boss, David Jolly's business partner stole the money
that keeps me well fed or alive, and I just
think that that's going to be some really ugly but
powerful television this fall.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
We're joined by the publisher of Florida Politics, Peter Shore.
She can find all of his work and all of
his team's reporting on this story in a whole lot
more at Florida politics dot com. Not that it necessarily
matters politically, because if the Donalds campaign and Republicans do
what you're saying they're probably going to do, it's going
to have an impact regardless. But is there any evidence
(06:45):
that you've seen that Jolly knew what Deavone was up to,
the allegedd nefarious activities he was up to.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
I want to be super careful here and say that
I have no first daid.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Knowledge of that, but you have got a federal indictment
that is going to have hundreds of thousands of pages
of discovery. I know, I do know first hand how
important David Jolly was to the Gavoni's political operations, and
(07:22):
I think that really what wasn't addressed in the video
David saying, Hey, they contributed to me, but they also
contributed to Rick Scott, Nashley Moody and Marco Rubio. I
think people that know Campa Bay politics know Leo Gavoni
was like one of the main guys, you know, basically
hosting people during the twenty twelve RNC convention. And I
(07:46):
know that David Jolly was one of the people that
was putting all of that together for him. He was
the person delivering the checks, you know, he was the
person handling the political operations and so all of that.
Speaker 5 (07:58):
I don't know if it's.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
In the court documents, but I know we started asking
people around town and then we.
Speaker 5 (08:03):
Started asking the Gavonis. They will tell you that was
the role that Jolly played for them. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
And then You've got Gavoni serving as Jolly's finance co
chair for his campaign for Congress. You've got one of
Gavoni's companies paying Jolly for the consulting work like you
were alluding to. You've got Jolly hiring Gavoni's son as
a legislative aid.
Speaker 5 (08:25):
You've got Jolly's wife.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Working briefly for one of Gavoni's business I mean, it's
a very clear relationship.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
And as our friend Anthony Pettini.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Said about the Saint Pete Mayer's race separate issue is
just like when you're explaining you're not campaigning and so again,
imagine a hundred million dollars in television questions like what
you just talked about.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
The publisher of Florida Politics, Peter shore Ch Again, you
can find all of his work and all of U
teams reporting on this story and lots more at Florida
politics dot com.
Speaker 5 (09:01):
Peter really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
We'll talk to you again soon.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
Okay, Ryan, thanks for having me on.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Make the Ryan Gorman Show. Podcast Up were set on iHeartRadio,
presented by Vera and VERA Accident Attorneys, Tampa
So Ryan Gorman Show podcast presented by Farah and Farah
Accident Attorneys TAPA.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Let's bring in the publisher of Florida Politics, Peter Shore.
You can check out all of his work and all
of his team's fantastic reporting at Florida politics dot com. So, Peter,
little spat between David Jolly and Anna Pauline a Luna
pops up, and somehow you end up being right in
the middle of it. Why are you always in the
(00:28):
middle of these these back and forths between rival politicians.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
And then and then they say afterwards that nobody reads
me or you know, it doesn't matter that the best
part is right right, Yeah, it's that that is always
my favorite. Jay Collins's people, nobody reads that place or
that that that rag. And then you know they're sending
like twenty five emails asking us to cover his nineteenth
press conference this week or something like that.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
You know, so this is an issue, This is a big.
Speaker 5 (00:58):
Issue that Tama bay Toon has reported about it.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
It is a scandal involving Leo Gavoni and you're gonna
hear that name a lot this fall in Florida Politics.
He was basically in charge of Elder and Disability Trust
funds to a nine figure total, and he ended up
absconding with the money and has been indicted as in
(01:23):
jail right now for it. And now he's not been
found guilty, of course, but his main guy was David Jolly,
and we've known about this four years and in fact,
I will tell you now what I've been telling everybody
as this starts to percolate. I am surprised David even
rant for governor, knowing how big this scandal was and
(01:46):
how vulnerable he is on the issue.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
So APL brought up the issue.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
I think what has happened now is the Donalds campaign
has done their opposition research. They're pivoting to the general
and they see a big vulnerability.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
On this issue.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
APL, who's a big supporter of Byron Donalds, started to
raise it. David fired back pretty indignantly, and we're off
to the races now, happy to answer any questions about it.
I know the issue pretty well because I've done I have,
I have done work with David Joy. I always tell
people David Jolly loan needs the money for my to
(02:25):
buy my wife's engagement rank. I like David Jolly a
lot I've contributed it to him before that said, I've
thought that this situation is an achilles heel for him.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
We're joined by the publisher of Florida Politics, Peter Shorsch.
I remember, I don't know exactly when this was, but
it was a while ago, and we were talking about
David Jolly running for the Democratic nomination for governor. Might
have been when he when he first got into the race,
and now he's almost the presumptive nominee. I mean, there's
(03:01):
really not much of a primary happening with Orange County
Mayor Jerry Demings bowing out of the race because of
health issues. But I remember we had a conversation and
you brought this issue up about David Jolly, saying it
was going to be a big campaign issue.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
I think it is. I think it is, especially with.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
You know, the polling tightening. You have to figure the
it's not I don't want to say it's even the
Donald's campaign. I want to say I think it's bigger
than what people realize. They keep saying, like, hey, you
know that's going to be negative ads against Jolly, and
I'm like, I don't think people understand. Once we get
out of the primary, and once we get into you know,
(03:46):
the fall, and I think Donald's campaign will end up becoming,
you know, the number one race in the country, especially
since it's.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
Tight despite the registration advantage.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
For the Republicans. You have got the top priority for
Donald Trump being Byron Donald, and you've got his political people.
You know that Donald's is their guy. So I think
this turns into a one hund two hundred three hundred
million dollar campaign at the end of it, because it's
it's basically the future of MAGA is keeping the Florida stronghold.
(04:18):
And so you know, I keep saying to people this
it kind of I wouldn't be surprised if this turns
into twenty two years later, a swift boat level attack.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
So what is David Jolly saying in response to the
the talk about him being so closely connected to this
infamous fraudster.
Speaker 4 (04:45):
Well, he's I don't want to say he's pooh pooing it.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
He's taking the the he's acknowledging that the accusations against
Cavoni are serious, and they are pretty they are serious
and they're kind of ironclad. I I think he's trying
to distance himself and there was some laying. I was
surprised that he tried to put so many assertions out
(05:08):
in a video, and because I think it opens him up.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
To having those claim fact checked.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
And I keep saying, the folks, you know, it's not
the local media, it's not the Florida media. It's when
the Washington Post, it's when the New York Times when
they send twelve reporters down here.
Speaker 5 (05:27):
And we've seen this before, Roy Moore Platner up.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
In Maine, and I'm not kidding he had.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
David Jolly himself has not done any of those level things.
But those national organizations that have the investigative shops, they
are going to examine Cavoni and I will say there
is just a huge overlap.
Speaker 5 (05:45):
And then I will say, I don't even think the
Republicans need that.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
I think that they will get three or four victims
of this fraudster. And they will, and they will say, hey,
David Jolly was this guy's main guy, whether it be
general counsel or whatever the title is. They're going to
put him that in that camera frame with them, and
they're going to have somebody in a wheelchair saying that
(06:09):
David Jolly's boss, David Jolly's business partner stole the money
that keeps me well fed or alive, and I just
think that that's going to be some really ugly but
powerful television this fall.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
We're joined by the publisher of Florida Politics, Peter Shore.
She can find all of his work and all of
his team's reporting on this story in a whole lot
more at Florida politics dot com. Not that it necessarily
matters politically, because if the Donalds campaign and Republicans do
what you're saying they're probably going to do, it's going
to have an impact regardless. But is there any evidence
(06:45):
that you've seen that Jolly knew what Deavone was up to,
the allegedd nefarious activities he was up to.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
I want to be super careful here and say that
I have no first daid.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Knowledge of that, but you have got a federal indictment
that is going to have hundreds of thousands of pages
of discovery. I know, I do know first hand how
important David Jolly was to the Gavoni's political operations, and
(07:22):
I think that really what wasn't addressed in the video
David saying, Hey, they contributed to me, but they also
contributed to Rick Scott, Nashley Moody and Marco Rubio. I
think people that know Campa Bay politics know Leo Gavoni
was like one of the main guys, you know, basically
hosting people during the twenty twelve RNC convention. And I
(07:46):
know that David Jolly was one of the people that
was putting all of that together for him. He was
the person delivering the checks, you know, he was the
person handling the political operations and so all of that.
Speaker 5 (07:58):
I don't know if it's.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
In the court documents, but I know we started asking
people around town and then we.
Speaker 5 (08:03):
Started asking the Gavonis. They will tell you that was
the role that Jolly played for them. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
And then You've got Gavoni serving as Jolly's finance co
chair for his campaign for Congress. You've got one of
Gavoni's companies paying Jolly for the consulting work like you
were alluding to. You've got Jolly hiring Gavoni's son as
a legislative aid.
Speaker 5 (08:25):
You've got Jolly's wife.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Working briefly for one of Gavoni's business I mean, it's
a very clear relationship.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
And as our friend Anthony Pettini.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Said about the Saint Pete Mayer's race separate issue is
just like when you're explaining you're not campaigning and so again,
imagine a hundred million dollars in television questions like what
you just talked about.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
The publisher of Florida Politics, Peter shore Ch Again, you
can find all of his work and all of U
teams reporting on this story and lots more at Florida
politics dot com.
Speaker 5 (09:01):
Peter really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
We'll talk to you again soon.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
Okay, Ryan, thanks for having me on.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Make the Ryan Gorman Show. Podcast Up were set on iHeartRadio,
presented by Vera and VERA Accident Attorneys, Tampa
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