Administration denies report that oil drilling could soon be coming to Florida coast

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - There was bipartisan outrage over a report that the Trump administration is preparing to open the door to oil and gas drilling off Florida’s eastern Gulf Coast after the November election. But the government says it's more "fake news."

A Politico article cited four unnamed sources who they say are familiar with the plan, and that the administration would wait until after the election in order to not upset votes in a key swing state.

Historically, offshore oil drilling is opposed by both parties in Florida, especially after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.

“You can’t control every drop of oil that you drill,” said Rick Falkenstien, who runs a beachfront restaurant that was devastated by that spill.

Congressman Charlie Crist, now a congressman, was governor at the time. 

“I’m stunned,” he told FOX 13 Wednesday. “After going through the BP Oil spill as governor and seeing the reaction from Floridians all over the state, it’s just shocking.”

It May indeed be too shocking to be true -- the interior secretary’s press office put out a tweet calling the Politico article “fake news” based on anonymous sources who don’t know what they’re talking about. They also say current offshore plans do not expire until 2022 and they won’t be issuing a new report in November.

Republican Senator Rick Scott released a statement saying the Trump administration has committed to no off-shore drilling plans for Florida and that he’ll fight to make sure it’s off the table.