The Sunshine State is having its say in U.S. maritime matters.
Robert J. Harvey of Florida was sworn in Monday as a commissioner of the Federal Maritime Commission.
The addition returns the five-member panel to full staffing and fills the seat vacated when Carl Bentzel departed in December 2024.
A former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney who also worked in securities litigation, Harvey was nominated by President Donald Trump in September 2025 to serve a term expiring on June 30, 2029. The Senate confirmed his nomination on May 18; Trump appointed him to the Commission on May 28.
He’s the third recent FMC appointee from Florida by Trump, following agency chair Laura DiBella and immediate past chair Louis Sola.
Harvey previously served as the president and executive director of the Florida Opportunity Fund, a not-for-profit corporation investing in native start-up companies.
Harvey also served as the executive director of the Florida Development Finance Corporation, which issues bonds promoting economic development. Prior to that he served as general counsel at Enterprise Florida, the state’s economic development organization.
Republicans hold a 3-2 majority on the panel. DiBella, a Trump appointee, and Harvey are joined by longtime member Rebecca Dye. The FMC is rounded out by Democrats — former chair Daniel Maffei and Max Vekich, a former officer with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union.
Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
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