Ron DeSantis' super PAC set to receive a whopping $75 million: report

23 February 2023

Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis can now transfer nearly $75 million from his statewide political committee, Friends of Ron DeSantis, to a super PAC due to a change in the Federal Election Commission's (FEC) rules last year, HuffPost reports.

Per HuffPost, the "loophole" adapted by the FEC allows the governor to "convert" funds from his gubernatorial campaign into financial aid for anything "super PACs can do for candidates," including funding television ads.

The $74,832,648 currently in the political committee's possession, which includes funds from billionaire donors, exceeds any fundraising secured by other 2024 GOP presidential hopefuls, including former President Donald Trump, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, and potential 2024 candidate, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

HuffPost reports:

DeSantis cannot use money raised by a state committee for a federal race. However, thanks to a ruling in a case brought against fellow Floridian and Republican Byron Donalds, he effectively has the green light to cut his ties to the state committee and then have it transfer its remaining cash to a federal super PAC that supports him.

Donalds, a 2020 congressional candidate in Florida, can speak from experience, considering a state political committee that backed him as a candidate, donated over $100,000 to a pro-Donalds federal super PAC, ultimately securing his win, according to HuffPost.

The Daily Beast reports Trump has attempted to use a similar tactic, as the former president transferred $20 million from one super PAC to another called Make America Great Again Inc., in October. Notably, government watchdogs are keeping an eye out for how he uses those funds.

Regardless, some GOPers believe that DeSantis' fundraising could lead to his securing the 2024 GOP nomination.

"DeSantis' politics and get-it-done governing style, coupled with national donors starting to gravitate toward DeSantis over former President Donald Trump, has sparked national interest from both large GOP donors and grassroots-type small-dollar contributors to give to the Republican governor," Slater Bayliss, a Florida GOP lobbyist and DeSantis supporter told Politico last year.

"If you look at where the money is coming from, it’s indicative of Gov. DeSantis being seen by national donors as the de facto frontrunner for president," the lobbyist said.

Huffpost's full report is available at this link. Politico's report is here.

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