The Florida Senate Appropriations Committee on Higher Education unanimously voted down the appointment of Dr. Joel Rudman to the Pensacola State College Board of Trustees on Tuesday afternoon.
Dr. Rudman attended the hearing over Zoom after speaking at a press conference held by Gov. Ron DeSantis on the PSC campus where he criticized House republicans for not supporting DeSantis.
Rudman was questioned by the committee for comments made on an X Spaces chat.
"I do have a confirmation hearing in front of the Senate this Tuesday. Some of these cards I have to keep on me,” Rudman said on X.
“We need to drug test our legislators. Read between the lines. I won’t name any names. I know where the bodies are buried, but if they come after me in this confirmation hearing on Tuesday, maybe we can do another Spaces, and I can give you some names. Let’s see how they behave on Tuesday.”
Sen. Tom Leek said Rudman had "painted" the committee in a corner with those remarks.
“There’s no way you can read those comments and, with a straight face, tell people that they weren’t intended to intimidate and influence the Senators on this panel,” said Sen. Tom Leek, an Ormond Beach Republican, “and that is something I cannot abide.”
Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith, an Orlando Democrat, made note of recent controversial appointments, including those made for the University of West Florida Board of Trustees, calling them "loyalty trophies for political allies" of DeSantis. He also questioned why some appointees have no prior experience and are not local or alumni.
"I find myself asking what does that say about how the executive branch values higher education."