Sen. Rick Scott Donates Salary To FL Holocaust Museum In St. Pete

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — U.S. Sen. Rick Scott and his wife, Ann Scott, will donate a portion of his fourth-quarter Senate salary to the Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg, according to a news release from his office.

The former Florida governor, who has donated his salary since taking Senate office in 2019, said he chose the museum because of an increase in antisemitic incidents across the country.

“Ann and I are proud to support the mission of the Florida Holocaust Museum and its dedication to educating Floridians on the horrors of the Holocaust. Our country is witnessing a disgusting rise in antisemitic events, and these terrible incidents have only grown more frequent and vile since Iran-backed Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on Oct. 7,” Rick Scott said.

He added, “The Florida Holocaust Museum serves as a beacon of light and a reminder that while the Jewish people have endured thousands of years of hate and persecution, we will never let hate win and destroy Israel or the Jewish people.”

Scott said the donation was made in honor of his friend, real estate developer and U.S. ambassador Mel Sembler, who died earlier this year and was a longtime supporter of the museum.

"Amid skyrocketing antisemitism worldwide, learning and applying the lessons of the Holocaust have never been more important. The Florida Holocaust Museum thanks Senator Rick Scott and Mrs. Ann Scott for this generous gift in memory of Ambassador Mel Sembler, which will directly support our efforts to share those lessons with people of all ages to promote Upstanding, affirm human dignity and prevent future genocides,” Michael Igel, the museum’s chair, said.

In 2013, Scott was the first sitting governor to visit the Florida Holocaust Museum, Igel added. “We appreciate his continued allyship as our institution evolves to meet new challenges and reach new communities."