DeSantis Appoints Pro-Gun Voice to Key Position

Every state is run just a little bit differently. In Florida, they have a position of Chief Financial Officer, which is something you normally hear of in a corporation versus a state government.

Basically, it's the state treasurer, comptroller, etc, all rolled into one.

And Florida Governor Ron DeSantis needed to appoint someone to that role. On Wednesday, he made an announcement of his pick, and it was one that many pro-gunners in the state are thrilled with.

.@GovRonDeSantis pro-gun pick for Florida's Chief Financial Officer is solid.

Anti-gunners want @JoeGruters in that office, he voted in favor of the Parkland gun control bill in 2018.@GovGoneWild voted against it & defended the 2A.

Gruters belongs in the gutter, not as CFO. https://t.co/dMwuxfrWuZ pic.twitter.com/zujB8GxXMV

— Luis Valdes (@RealFLGunLobby) July 16, 2025

Now, why does former state senator Blaise Ingoglia's pro-gun credentials matter in a role that seems to have more to do with money?

Well, there are a couple of reasons. For one, it's the office that can stop credit card companies from tracking gun purchases in the state, which is just what a previous CFO did.

If that was the only pro-gun thing the CFO could do, that would be enough.

However, the CFO is also in charge of the Criminal Investigations Division, which is the statewide law enforcement agency that investigates financial crimes as well as cases involving fire, arson, and explosives. You know, some of the same stuff the ATF investigates?

In fact, the CID works closely with the ATF.

Having a pro-gun voice in such a role is likely to provide benefits on that front. While the current iteration of the ATF is less interested in screwing with law-abiding gun owners, that's not guaranteed to remain the case indefinitely, even if the ATF is folded into another agency.

Rep. Joe Gruters was still up for the job, and President Donald Trump had apparently endorsed him for the role, but DeSantis went a different way. Why? Part of it was, in fact, Gruters having opposed pro-Second Amendment efforts in the past.

That's not me guessing, either. That's the first thing DeSantis mentioned when discussing why he went in another direction.

REPORTER: Why didn't you tap Joe Gruters [for Chief Financial Officer], who has President Trump's endorsement?

DESANTIS: Political stuff to me is not as important as what your record is in office. He voted to violate Floridians' 2nd Amendment rights. We did landmark legislation… pic.twitter.com/ZNHzyIStV3

— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) July 16, 2025

Now, it wasn't all of it, but it was the first thing out of DeSantis's mouth, which suggests he considered that a pretty big reason to choose Ingoglia.

This is pretty good news for Floridians, because at worst, you're not going to have someone in office who might screw you over down the road. It's sad that we have to consider that a win, but the truth is that this is Florida, where the wins are coming kind of lean. This one may well preserve what rights remain there, and who knows? Ingoglia might have some ability to do more than just that.

Here's hoping, anyway. Floridians deserve better than they've gotten.

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