TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — While Gov. Ron DeSantis kicks off his 2024 presidential campaign with stops in the early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina this week, he and his former state political committee are now being accused of breaking federal campaign finance laws.
The Campaign Legal Center (CLC), a nonpartisan watchdog group, filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, alleging DeSantis violated federal campaign finance laws, “by directing or transferring” $86 million raised in a state political committee account during his campaign and time as governor, to a federal super PAC “Never Back Down,” which is backing his run for president.
The complaint calls it, “a brazen attempt to circumvent the federal campaign finance rules that are crucial to preventing corruption and establishing transparency about how our federal elections are financed.”
CLC claims the Federal Election Campaign Act prevents federal candidates, like DeSantis, from spending "soft money," or unlimited money raised by organizations not subject to federal campaign finance laws, in connection with a federal election.
By law, candidates are not allowed to coordinate with super PACs directly, which can raise money without limits," as opposed to “hard money" raised directly by a candidate and tightly regulated.
"Never Back Down" has already spent more than $1 million supporting DeSantis' campaign.
The $86 million in question is left over from hundreds of millions raised by the formerly called “Friends of Ron DeSantis” state political committee. Prior to DeSantis announcing his presidential run, the group was renamed "Empower Parents PAC" and is chaired by State Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, who has endorsed the governor for president.
The money raised in the state committee can’t legally be moved directly to DeSantis' presidential campaign, but a workaround could include moving that money to a super PAC.
According to a recently updated version of the state’s Florida Political Committee handbook, state committees are advised they “may make contributions to an out-of-state political entity that engages solely in non-coordinated expenditures," a deviation from previous years, as first reported by NBC news.
10 Tampa Bay reached out to the DeSantis campaign for comment.
CLC is asking the FEC to investigate whether any law was broken. The FEC is made up of six commissioners, three Republicans and three Democrats. They previously didn't take action on a similar case involving funds raised by U.S. Rp. Byron Donalds, R-Florida, during the 2020 cycle.
The $86 million would be a huge boost for DeSantis' prospects as he aims to stay positioned as the chief rival to former President Donald Trump in the race for the 2024 GOP nomination.
Though DeSantis has proven to be a prolific fundraiser thus far. His campaign says it took in more than $8 million in the 24 hours after he announced his campaign.