AP: Top Donor Of Gov. Ron DeSantis Is Major Regeneron Investor

2 years ago 218

MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) — As Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis criss-crosses the authorities opening monoclonal antibody attraction centers utilizing Regeneron arsenic a post-exposure prevention for COVID-19, helium is besides being criticized due to the fact that 1 of his apical donors is simply a large Regeneron investor.

According to the Associated Press, filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission amusement Citadel, a Chicago-based hedge fund, has $15.9 cardinal successful shares of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals arsenic good arsenic options to bargain its stock.

Citadel CEO Ken Griffin has donated $10.75 cardinal to a governmental committee that supports DeSantis. He besides donated $5.75 cardinal successful 2018 and $5 cardinal past April.

Citadel’s concern successful Regeneron is simply a tiny fraction of its wide $39 cardinal successful investments, but if the banal terms were to spell up, Citadel would benefit. DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw points retired that Citadel has acold greater investments successful Moderna and Pfizer, which manufacture COVID-19 vaccines.

But the narration has generated a buzz connected societal media, arsenic Democrats question the relationship.

“Claiming that determination is someway ‘corruption’ by promoting the baseless governmental communicative that Governor DeSantis supports Regeneron implicit COVID vaccines (completely false, but that is different topic) is not adjacent logically accordant erstwhile you analyse the SEC filing,” Pushaw said successful an email. “Citadel holds acold much shares of Pfizer and Moderna than Regeneron.”

DeSantis announced connected Wednesday the opening of the state’s newest monoclonal antibody attraction halfway astatine C.B. Smith Park successful Pembroke Pines. Others are already unfastened successful Jacksonville, Orlando, and Merritt Island. Sites volition unfastened soon successful Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties.

Experts accidental the cause is an effective attraction for COVID-19 if radical person attraction soon aft investigating positive.

It helps support radical retired of overcrowded hospitals, but experts accidental vaccines, not treaments for radical aft they get sick, are the champion mode to bash that.

The Regeneron drugs, erstwhile fixed wrong 10 days of archetypal symptoms, person been shown to chopped rates of hospitalization and decease by astir 70%. The vaccines authorized for usage successful the U.S. person been proven successful large, real-world studies to beryllium 95% effectual against hospitalization.

“It is safe, effective, and escaped of complaint to each patients successful Florida. This should not beryllium a governmental contented -– it’s astir redeeming lives,” Pushaw said.

The national authorities is paying for the monoclonal antibody treatments and patients aren’t being charged for the antibody cocktail.

The Citadel CEO, a billionaire, has donated tens of millions of dollars to different blimpish candidates and governmental committees crossed the country. He was raised successful Florida and is gathering an oceanfront mansion adjacent Trump’s Palm Beach Mar-a-Lago resort.

Citadel declined to comment.

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