Greg Folley on the City of Naples’ 2024 Proposed Restrictions for Political Campaigns and Committees
| ICYMI: Statement by Greg Folley on the City of Naples’ 2024 Proposed Restrictions for Political Campaigns and Committees in the Naples July 4th Parade On Tuesday, conservative candidate Greg Folley made the following statement on the City of Naples’ 2024 proposed restrictions for political campaigns and committees in the Naples July 4th Parade: It came to our attention yesterday morning that a decision had been made by the City of Naples to severely curtail the organizational and campaigning efforts for the various political parties and campaigns of Collier County. It seems ironic that in a county known for being the epitome of the slogan Free State of Florida that the largest and most festive occasion of the year to celebrate America’s freedom and political heritage would be used as an opportunity to squelch the free expression of people making statements about politics and political issues. Just last year, the Folley Campaign participated in the July 4th parade with a dozen or more marchers wearing Folley campaign t-shirts and carrying large banners urging a vote for me as the candidate, and naturally, we’d like to do it again. This is that time of year. Being told that we cannot this year in an election year seems to just run counter to the spirit of July 4th. So we objected. However, just to be clear, we did not object just on our behalf but also on behalf of our opponents’ campaigns, on behalf of the Republican Party, the Democratic Party, and any other party that wants to participate. We obtained able counsel, former City Attorney Jim Fox, who communicated with the Naples City Attorney and informed him that we would go to court to vindicate our rights and those of all candidates similarly impacted, as well as the rights of all citizens whose rights were impacted by this arbitrary and unconstitutional set of rules, if they were not repealed immediately. America and especially Florida should be a place where we celebrate Free Speech, and as a conservative, while I may not agree with an opponent, I will always defend their right to say what they believe and encourage them to gather support and campaign for their views. That’s what makes our nation different from the rest of the world. That is the same spirit that Ronald Reagan spoke with when he demanded that his 3rd party opponent be allowed to participate in a debate that the press corps was trying to keep constrained to the two major parties. The good news is that the City of Naples has now reversed its decision, and I am glad for it. City officials made the right decision in keeping with the spirit of our Founding Fathers. Greg’s efforts to fight back against the establishment and defend our Constitutional liberties were reported on by state and local news outlets. See coverage by Florida Politics here. See coverage by NBC2 here. See coverage by ABC7 here. This article was paid by Greg Folley Republican for State Representative |