Julie Jenkins isn’t the only Publix heiress to finance crazies

Carol Jenkins did, too

James Leftus
2 min readNov 14, 2022

Julie is not the only Jenkins’ sibling to finance right-wing causes. Her late sister, Carol Jenkins Barnett, fought the legalization of medical marijuana — again in Florida — successfully in 2014 and with failure 2016. At the time, Carol was on the Publix board of directors, but the grocery chain dodged the outrage when Carol funneled her money through a private trust, side-stepping conflict of interest questions and hiding behind the company’s image.

The anti-legalization group, the Drug Free Florida Committee, also had financial backing of other big name GOP donors.

“We are a grassroots campaign bringing the truth about amendment 2 to the voters of Florida. Our coalition includes members of law enforcement, business leaders, constitutional law attorneys, doctors and other medical professionals, parents and Floridians from all walks of life. We know that amendment 2 is simply a guise to legalize pot smoking in Florida and our goal is to point out the loopholes and explain why this amendment is bad for Florida.” -Drug Free Florida Committee.

Some “grassroots” campaign when it’s funded by ultra-wealthy donors. In it’s version of Reefer Madness, the Committee dredged up Reagan drug czar, Carlton Turner to direct the anti-pot opposition. Turner is infamous for his claim to have originated the “Just Say No” campaign promoted by the Wicked Witch of the West, Nancy Reagan. “Marijuana leads to homosexuality, the breakdown of the immune system, and ultimately, AIDS,” Turner famously said in a 1986 Newsweek interview.

Carlton Turner’s claiming marijuana is the new “date rape” drug in a anti-initiative ad

At a certain point ask: what leads these idle rich morons to dump millions and millions of dollars into anti-marijuana and pro-insurrection groups?

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James Leftus

Groucho Marxist writer on the Florida Gulf Coast. Left Behind Volunteer. Former Youth International Party member. Founder AARP ANTIFA Club.