Politico by Matt Dixon
February 22, 2019
TALLAHASSEE – A Netflix series focusing on food industry “corruption” is preparing an episode on sugar, one of Florida’s largest and most politically powerful special interests
The episode is being put together by Netflix’s “Rotten” series, which “explores corruption in the food world,” according to an email from a reporter on the project to Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis is one of a few Florida Republicans who have rejected political donations from Big Sugar, one of states’ biggest campaign contributors.
“For our second season, we are working on an episode about Big Sugar,” Netflix reporter Christine Haughney wrote to the DeSantis transition team in a Nov. 26 email obtained by POLITICO. “We would love to see if we could interview Governor DeSantis about how he has stood up to Big Sugar—regardless of how it could have brought him larger donations.”
The email said Netflix would be taping in Florida in early December.
Haughney referred questions to Netflix. Netflix spokesperson Richard Siklos and lawyers for the company did not respond to requests for comment.
The email was obtained through a public records request that turned up no records indicating the DeSantis transition team responded to the interview request.
DeSantis spokesperson Meredith Beatrice said in a written statement that “no one in this administration (including the governor) participated in the documentary.”