November 28, 2023

It appears Mr. Antonacci died of a heart attack, not foul play, but it sure sounds like there has been a serious attempt to cover up the details.

As The Independent reported, 74 year-old Antonacci, head of the Office of Election Crimes and Safety, died in September, 2022 after “abruptly” leaving a meeting of that office in the Florida Capitol. The office had been created two months earlier in response to false MAGA claims about election fraud in 2020.

But the Florida Bulldog did some digging and got hold of Florida Department of Law Enforcement reports. Despite numerous redactions, it suggests a shocking disregard for life on the part of DeSantis’ staff and, quite possibly, "pro life" DeSantis, himself.

That Antonacci, 74, was stricken in the governor’s office was kept secret at the time. Instead, authorities only said he died while at work in the Capitol building, of which the governor’s office is a part.

Florida Bulldog requested the FDLE’s public records in February after receiving a tip that Antonacci had died in the governor’s office following an argument with DeSantis. The FDLE reports, however, make no mention of DeSantis being present.

Several FDLE top brass were in that meeting, including FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass and FDLE Chief of Staff Shane Desguin.

The Bulldog also learned that an “agitated” Antonacci had “abruptly” walked out of the meeting at about 1:46 PM, but it remains unknown why he got upset.

We also know that Antonacci was observed “staggering” on security video after leaving the meeting and then collapsed to the floor. He was not found there for nearly a half hour. After he was eventually found, Desguin told investigators he got an AED machine but “advised it could not produce a shock.” Desguin and Glass then tried other means to revive Antonacci. He was later pronounced dead by medical staff.

So how on earth does a man collapse and die outside the governor’s office, in the middle of a workday, without anyone knowing for almost half hour? Are there not security guards or staff nearby? Doesn’t anyone monitor the security video? And why was the AED machine defective? Is it not checked?

We'll probably never know whether Antonacci’s life could have been saved had he been found and properly attended to earlier. But there is little doubt that DeSantis and his toadies seem more intent on hiding details from the public than in any other response to this tragedy

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