Today, The Intercept reported that 18 companies who contributed to Florida GOP Governor Ron DeSantis’ campaign received over “$1.68 billion in contracts from state agencies during his time in office.”
The report also highlights that DeSantis has “determined possible ways to convert money from his gubernatorial campaign to a potential federal one” — potentially allowing the governor to award his campaign contributors with state contracts in order to fund a run for president in 2024.
The Intercept: Florida Contracts Go To Companies That Flooded Ron DeSantis Campaign Fund
By: Akela Lacy | September 27, 2022
Key Points:
-
“Under the leadership of Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron Desantis, a Missouri-based railroad and transport company that contributed generously in support of his campaign saw an astonishing 280-fold increase in its Florida state government contract awards. A construction aggregates firm that contributed $82,500 was awarded $30 million in new contracts. And a highway and civil site contracting firm that gave $22,500 saw its contracts grow 15-fold.”
-
“The railroad company, Herzog Contracting, only received $115,000 in contracts under former Republican Gov. Rick Scott and did not donate to his campaign. Since the 2018 gubernatorial race, by contrast, the firm has given $350,000 to DeSantis or his state committee and has so far received $32.7 million in contracts from the Florida Department of Transportation, including work on a commuter rail project.”
-
“Boosting DeSantis’s campaign are contributions from 18 companies, including construction, consulting, and utility firms, that received a total of more than $1.68 billion in contracts from state agencies during his time in office. A handful of these firms were relatively dormant for political contributions in other cycles; three have not given to statewide Republican candidates since 2002.”
-
“In July, CNN reported that DeSantis’s political team had determined possible ways to convert money from his gubernatorial campaign to a potential federal one, citing the Donalds case as an example.”
-
“The logic of the decision in that matter ‘opens a huge loophole for folks like DeSantis, who are tremendously successful in raising funds in a state vehicle,’ Ghosh said. ‘Someone running DeSantis’s PAC could point to the Donalds decision and say they’re working in line with the commissioners.’”
Read the full story here.
Published: Sep 27, 2022