Some days ago, RedState’s Brad Slager reported on an ongoing “scandal” in Florida involving Joseph Lapado, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appointment to be the surgeon general of the state.

(related Heads Explode Over Florida’s New Surgeon General)

As the story went, Lapado refused to wear a mask while around Tina Polsky, a Democrat state senator. Polsky claimed that she was purposely put at risk because she has breast cancer. Yet, new details are emerging which call into question multiple parts of the allegation.

For example, it appears that Lapado had offered to go outside, where the risk of spread is scientifically minute, while Polsky demanded that he stay in her office. For the record, Lapado is also fully vaccinated.

This was either a political stunt, or an object lesson in how mask mania increases risky behavior.

Outdoors is by definition 100% ventilated, and massively — nearly infinitely — lower risk than masked indoor social interaction. https://t.co/BjZkdPx9zW pic.twitter.com/Ta14QeHfwy

— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) October 24, 2021

But now, we have direct evidence this was one big political stunt. A picture has now emerged, not just in the same week, but on the same day of the incident showing Polsky sitting next to a Democrat colleague without a mask.

Same exact day as her Ladapo stunt, Polsky sat unmasked right next to another unmasked Democrat. Democratic immunity, I guess.https://t.co/y9F2XABII3

— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) October 25, 2021

During media appearances on CNN, MSNBC, and local TV news outlets on Monday afternoon, Democrat State Senator Tina Polsky told viewers she wants Governor Ron DeSantis to pull his nomination of Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo because of his refusal to put on a mask prior to a meeting with Polsky, who cited her recent breast cancer diagnosis as the basis for the mask policy.

But video and photographic evidence show that Polsky spent time in close proximity with unmasked Democrats, including at least one on the same day as her scheduled meeting with Ladapo. She later admitted she hasn’t been consistent in following the policy herself.

It appears that Polsky only cares about wearing a mask around others when it’s a Republican appointee she doesn’t like. She obviously pushed the issue with Lapado for petty, political reasons and not because she was truly fearful given her pre-existing condition. If she had a policy of making people wear masks around her, it would be applied to everyone. By contrast, Polsky appears to have selectively applied her demands only when she felt it was politically beneficial. After all, she wants to stop Lapado’s confirmation, and in my view, this was her attempt to do so.

Further, Lapado is on firm scientific ground in refusing to bow to the mask cult. He offered to go outside, which would actually provide some reduction in risk. Instead, she insisted he stay in her enclosed, poorly ventilated office. Per the available data we have, a mask was not going to offer much of any protection to her in that case, nor did she need protection given she and Lapado are both vaccinated.

It’s disappointing that the Republican President of the Florida Senate played along with Polsky’s hit job without waiting for all the facts to come out. Hopefully, he’ll revise his statement and continue to offer support for DeSantis’ pick.