FL Lawmaker Tricked Into Reading Inappropriate Fake Names Aloud: Watch

TALLAHASSEE, FL — A Republican member of the Florida state legislature was tricked into reading inappropriate fake names aloud during Monday’s House Civil Justice Subcommittee meeting.

State House Rep. Will Robinson, the subcommittee’s chair, was trolled during a hearing about GOP Rep. Tiffany Esposito’s bill on residential tenancies.

The bill, which passed the subcommittee in an 11-5 vote along party lines on Monday, calls for state law to override local tenant regulations, including renters’ protections passed by various cities and counties across the state, according to Law.com.

The naughty names were slipped in during the public testimony portion of the hearing as Robinson read names of members of the public out loud and whether they supported or opposed Esposito’s bill.

Watch a video of the meeting here. The representative begins reading the names just before the 37-minute mark.

“Anita (expletive,)” Robinson said in the video.

After a brief pause and deer-in-headlights look, he continued, “Is an opponent. Waives in opposition.”

He read the next name on the list: “Holden (expletive) is also an opponent. Waives in opposition.”

In the video, the woman seated next to Robinson is seen with her hand over her mouth, trying to suppress laughter as he read the names aloud.

The representative then read the next name on the list: “Jimmy. Only Jimmy. Florida Apartment Association. Wishes to speak and is a proponent.”

When the speaker made his way before the subcommittee, Robinson asked him, “Sir, can you just let us know your last name for the record?”

Robinson, who represents District 71, which includes parts of Sarasota and Manatee counties, later found the humor in the prank.

“Committee does meet again next week! Anita and Holden, please stop by,” he tweeted, along with a video clip from Monday’s meeting.