Cofounder of Moms for Liberty backed by GOP senators for Florida Ethics Commission panel

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Tina Descovich, a co-founder of the conservative Moms for Liberty group, moved one step closer to being confirmed as a member of the state Commission on Ethics, despite opposition from Democrats.

On Monday, the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee backed Descovich’s confirmation 6-3.

All three of the panel’s Democrats, South Florida Senators Tina Polsky and Bobby Powell, and Darryl Rouson from the Tampa Bay area dissented.

Descovich, who was selected for the ethics commission in 2023, is still waiting on confirmation from the entire Senate.

READ: Co-founder of Moms For Liberty named to head Florida Ethics Commission

A former member of the Brevard County School Board from 2016-2020, Descovich has become a prominent figure as Moms for Liberty targets what it characterizes as indoctrination in public schools and inappropriate content in school library books.

Moms for Liberty has been involved in various controversies regarding the removal of books and targeting LGBTQ+ topics in schools.

READ: Florida ranks #1 in nation for most banned books, according to new PEN America report

During the confirmation hearing, Democrats questioned Descovich about her work with Moms for Liberty and her connections to high-ranking government officials.

Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton, asked Descovich about potential conflicts of interest.

“Since Moms for Liberty actively works to support and endorse candidates for office, and the Commission on Ethics is responsible for overseeing the standards of conduct for officers and employees of Florida, do you feel your role both advocating for and monitoring elected officials is a conflict of interest?” Polsky asked.

Descovich denied that a conflict would exist, stating “I do not feel like it’s a conflict of interest. We are structured in a way that our chapters individually, they’re the ones that do the endorsing, in their local community, of school board candidates only. My position as executive director and co-founder of Moms for Liberty does not get involved, does not approve or deny their endorsements.”

Moms for Liberty was labeled an “extremist” organization by the Southern Poverty Law Center in 2021 for allegedly harassing community members, advancing anti-LGBTQ+ misinformation, and fighting to scrub diverse and inclusive material from lesson plans.

'Moms' for Liberty' pushback

Under Polsky’s questioning, Descovich also confirmed that she attended a Moms for Liberty meeting last year with Florida Governor DeSantis and state Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. that dealt with the governor backing school board candidates.

Descovich stated the officials were “seeking some of our counsel from Moms for Liberty as a whole and what we were looking for in candidates.” She denied playing any role in the governor’s decisions.

Gov. DeSantis over the last few years has endorsed many conservative school board candidates, with several who have won.

Sen. Debbie Mayfield, an Indialantic Republican whose district includes part of Brevard County, defended Descovich, stating “If there’s anyone that can serve in both capacities and do it well, and separate the two out at the same time, it’s Tina,” Mayfield said.

Descovich posted on X (formerly Twitter) February 16 a clip of her speaking at an event discussing “the crisis in American public education.”

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