Florida Politics is facing serious questions after publishing an article suggesting that newly elected House District 87 Representative Emily Gregory “gave the nod” to 22 Palm Beach County leaders to support Democrat David Jolly for Governor. There’s just one problem: key names on that list say it never happened.
Gregory, who won a special election over Trump-endorsed Republican Jon Maples, was portrayed as signaling support, triggering a wave of endorsements. But at least three of the officials cited in the article—Lake Park Mayor Roger Michaud and Commissioners Michael O’Rourke and John Linden—have now flatly denied backing Jolly.
Florida Jolt contacted Commissioner Michael O’Rourke directly. His response was unequivocal: “I would never endorse David Jolly.” O’Rourke went even further, saying he finds it doubtful that anyone from Lake Park would support what he called “that weasel.”
In a follow-up message, O’Rourke said he spoke with both Mayor Michaud and Commissioner Linden, confirming that neither of them endorsed Jolly either.
That raises a bigger question: where did these “endorsements” come from?
Under Florida law, political endorsements must be made in writing. If they’re not documented, they’re not official. Yet Florida Politics presented the list as fact, without clear sourcing or verification.
The article’s headline—“After Emily Gregory nod 22 more Palm Beach County leaders back David Jolly for Governor”—goes even further, implying coordination or direction from Gregory herself.
There is no evidence to support that claim.
To be clear, many of the officials listed are Democrats and may very well support Jolly. But when at least 3 of 22 say they were incorrectly included, the entire list is called into question. Each alleged endorsement now demands verification.
O’Rourke didn’t stop at private comments. After being alerted to the article by Florida Jolt, he responded:
I am a commissioner of the town of Lake Park, FL. Let me make this clear since I was mentioned in this article as endorsing David Jolly. I HAVE NOT, and I DO NOT ENDORSE David Jolly. It is typical of this sleazy politician, David Jolly, to make up anything to create a sense of legitimacy for a weak candidacy. In the free state of Florida, run by the best governor ever, our Ron DeSantis, now is not the time to turn away from good leadership. I don’t know who wrote this article, but it clearly shows the state of our modern media. There are no journalists anymore, just partisan hacks who sell the lies of a Democrat political party that seems to support fraud over leadership.
~Commissioner Michael O’Rourke
Florida Politics now faces a credibility test. At minimum, the outlet should issue a correction, clarify its sourcing, and verify each claimed endorsement. Because if these endorsements aren’t in writing, they aren’t real.
Journalism still matters—but only when it’s accurate.
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