Texts messages between state officials, a Manatee County commissioner, and a prominent Lakewood Ranch developer suggest that the motivation behind a pop-up vaccination site in Lakewood Ranch may not just have been to distribute shots.

The text messages obtained by Spectrum News show the communication between Commissioner Vanessa Baugh and Rex Jensen, a Lakewood Ranch developer. They were sent February 9, roughly one week before the exclusive vaccination site was launched at Premiere Sports Complex.

Here’s part of the text conversation:

Jenson: “Gov said he might show up. Should try to see if that would help him get exposure here.”

Baugh: “Excellent point. After all, 22 is right around the corner.”

Jenson: “Yup and he is better known on east side. Premiere could have a nice setup for him.”

Baugh: “Absolutely, we will make a very big deal about having it at Premier. This can be huge for him.”

Additional texts between Jensen, Baugh, and staff members of Gov. Ron DeSantis imply it was the governor's office that wanted to restrict the available vaccine doses to a select group of people rather than pulling from the county’s randomized pool.

In a series of messages, Jensen seems to get frustrated.

“They want me to maintain a list. They can’t. Screw this,” Jensen wrote to Baugh.

On Tuesday afternoon, DeSantis was questioned about the Lakewood Ranch vaccination site and asked whether the location was politically motivated.

“No, that is nonsense. If you look at Manatee at the time, they were one of the worst counties in the state for senior coverage,” DeSantis said.

During a Manatee County Commission meeting Tuesday, Baugh defended her actions, saying she assisted in getting thousands more seniors vaccinated.

“While some are upset with me, many are thanking me because it got 3,000 people off that lottery,” she said.

Baugh is under investigation by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office following a complaint that alleges she misused her position when helping to organize the event.