🤦🏼♂️
Discussion
Legend
kek
Bet the Fanjuls are happy.
PPQ Grok:
The Fanjul family is a prominent Cuban-American dynasty known primarily for their vast sugar empire in the United States, including ownership of companies like Florida Crystals, ASR Group (which includes Domino Sugar), and extensive sugarcane operations in Florida. They have been deeply involved in U.S. politics for decades, often leveraging their wealth to influence policies related to agriculture, trade, immigration, and Cuba relations. Their activities are characterized by bipartisan donations, lobbying efforts, and close ties to politicians, which have helped protect the U.S. sugar industry's subsidies and tariffs. Below, I'll outline their key political activities based on publicly available information up to my last knowledge cutoff.
### Campaign Contributions and Donations
The Fanjuls are among the top donors in the agricultural sector, contributing millions to political campaigns, PACs, and parties. They often split donations between Democrats and Republicans to maintain influence regardless of who is in power.
- **Bipartisan Strategy**: Family members like Alfonso "Alfy" Fanjul Sr. (and his son Alfy Jr.) have leaned Democratic, while Jose "Pepe" Fanjul has supported Republicans. For example, they've donated to figures like Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Marco Rubio, and Hillary Clinton.
- **Notable Contributions**:
- Over \( \$10 \) million in total federal campaign donations since the 1990s, according to campaign finance records.
- Significant support for Florida politicians, including Senators Marco Rubio (R) and Bill Nelson (D, former), as well as governors like Jeb Bush and Ron DeSantis.
- In the 2020 election cycle, family-linked entities donated hundreds of thousands to both parties, including to Joe Biden's campaign and Republican committees.
- **Sugar Industry PACs**: They fund groups like the American Sugar Alliance, which lobbies for federal sugar subsidies (estimated at \( \$2-4 \) billion annually to the industry).
### Lobbying and Policy Influence
The Fanjuls have invested heavily in lobbying to shape U.S. farm bills, trade policies, and environmental regulations affecting sugar production.
- **Sugar Subsidies and Tariffs**: They've been instrumental in maintaining the U.S. sugar program, which includes price supports, import quotas, and loans. This has been criticized as "corporate welfare" but has bipartisan support in Congress due to their efforts.
- **Cuba Policy**: As Cuban exiles (the family fled after the 1959 revolution, losing their original sugar mills), they've historically opposed normalizing U.S.-Cuba relations to avoid competition from Cuban sugar. However, in 2014, Alfy Fanjul publicly expressed interest in investing in Cuba if relations improved, marking a shift.
- **Key Lobbying Efforts**:
- Spent millions annually on lobbyists in Washington, D.C., targeting the Farm Bill renewals (e.g., the 2018 Farm Bill preserved sugar protections).
- Influenced policies on Everglades restoration, as their Florida operations are in sensitive environmental areas; they've donated to related causes while facing criticism for pollution.
- **Immigration and Labor**: They've advocated for guest worker programs (like H-2A visas) to support their labor needs in sugarcane fields, influencing immigration reform debates.
### Personal and Familial Ties
Several family members have held advisory roles or been involved in political organizations.
- **Alfonso "Alfy" Fanjul Jr.**: Served on boards like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and was a major bundler for Democratic campaigns. He hosted fundraisers for the Clintons and was considered for ambassadorships.
- **Jose "Pepe" Fanjul**: A key Republican donor, he's been involved with groups like the Cuban American National Foundation, which lobbies against the Cuban government.
- **Philanthropy with Political Overlap**: Through the Fanjul Family Foundation, they've supported causes like education and health in Florida, often aligning with politicians who back their business interests.
Their influence has drawn scrutiny, including from documentaries and reports (e.g., on "Big Sugar" and its political clout), but they remain a powerful force in U.S. politics. If you're looking for details on a specific family member or time period, let me know—I can refine this further!
Is it actually suggar from sugarcane, or any natural sugar? 'Cause, he just dropped a 50% tarrif on the world's biggest producer of sugar cane (and it's a distant first)
