Around the same time, Herzog Rail Services, the Missouri company hired by DeSantis' team to build the $35 million Orlando commuter rail extension, gave $250,000 to another affiliated super PAC, Never Back Down. Donated.
And casino mogul Jeffrey Soffer donated $1 million in late July, the same day his campaign announced major layoffs. Weeks after he withdrew from the presidential race, DeSantis announced his support for Soffer's controversial proposal to transfer the casino license to the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach.
Those involved in DeSantis' fundraising efforts described the reliance on donors who did business before Florida as part of a strategic shift born of necessity. Lobbyists and fundraisers friends of DeSantis, who called clients in Florida and asked them to donate to a super PAC that would pay for TV ads and field work, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private discussions. Many of them made donations, according to people familiar with the situation. . The pitch was that Mr. DeSantis would likely remain the strongest governor in the state, said one person who took the call.
Mr. DeSantis entered the presidential race as the wealthiest candidate in politics, with $82.5 million in state campaign funds to seed one of his super PACs, Never Back Down. But between June 30 and the end of the year, the governor raised relatively little money from big donors, and many of the deep-pocketed Republicans in national politics looked elsewhere, ultimately leading to former U.N. ambassador Nick・I have settled on Mr. Haley's election campaign.
Campaign finance records show that of the $147 million Never Back Down and Fight Right raised in 2023, just 11% came in the second half of the year. Many of the large donors had a deep interest in Florida. Never Back Down, which raised nearly all of its money, generated 37% of its revenue in the first half of this year from Florida-based donors, excluding transfers from the governor's own political committee, according to campaign finance filings. received. The organization raised 57% of its funds from Florida-based donors in the second half of the year.
“The premise of your article is completely false,” James Usmayer, DeSantis' chief of staff and former campaign manager, said in response to a request for comment.
“Anyone who works closely with the governor, as I do, knows that he is a man of unwavering faith and that, as your article suggests, he is willing to trade access and state favors in exchange for political support.” “I know I won't be the last person to give that,” he said. statement. “But a lot of people who work in and around Florida supported his campaign because they truly believed he was the best candidate, and a lot of people supported his leadership in our state. I have seen first-hand the amazing results of
DeSantis continues to appeal to donors even though he is no longer a candidate, and has not ruled out running another campaign when he leaves office in 2027. He plans to host a two-day “Investor Appreciation Retreat” at Hard Rock in early April. A hotel in Hollywood, Fla., owned by Seminole Gaming, a sponsor of the governor's official decision.
DeSantis had a deal with Seminole Gaming in 2021 that allowed him to offer sports betting across the state in exchange for a new gaming tax. DeSantis had estimated that the state would receive an additional $6 billion in revenue by 2030. A tribal-owned company donated $1 million to DeSantis' re-election campaign. He also donated an additional $3 million to the Republican Governors Association, which supported DeSantis' re-election bid. And in August, tribal businesses cut Never Back Down a $1 million check after DeSantis' presidential campaign announced layoffs, citing a lack of funding.
Now that the campaign is over, the Seminoles continue to support DeSantis' political efforts. The company has offered to subsidize the cost of the retreat, according to a person familiar with the plans. This event was designed to thank donors of over $250,000.
Seminole Gaming spokesman Gary Bitner declined to comment when asked about Never Back Down donations and the April event. Herzog Railway Services did not respond to a request for comment.
Another key supporter is Craig Mattia, whom DeSantis has appointed to the boards of the Orlando Airport Authority and the Florida State University System. On Tuesday, Mr. DeSantis announced that Mr. Mattia would be appointed to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, which Mr. DeSantis and state lawmakers created to oversee Disney World amid the governor's feud with Disney.
The campaign paid Mattia affiliate TMFB Management Services $531,955 in travel expenses, while Never Back Down similarly paid $266,551 to TMFB Transportation in the second half of the year, according to campaign finance records. Mr. Mateer helped the governor book last-minute travel by giving him access to flights, according to people familiar with the arrangement.
“When it comes to transportation services, we are pleased to support President Ron DeSantis and provide legal, healthy, safe and fast air travel. We look forward to supporting him in the future.” said in an email.
Mattia then offered another perk to DeSantis allies. The governor's aides, including Mr. Usmayer, have been meeting with lobbyists at the Governor's Inn bar in Tallahassee in recent months, according to people familiar with the meetings. The Governor's Inn is a hotel and bar owned by Mattia just a few blocks from the state Capitol.
The arrangement has raised eyebrows among lawmakers, as the facility remains closed to the public even after recent renovations. Officials who answered the phone at the property recently said the property is available only to friends and family of the owner. The inn's website states the facility remains “closed for renovations.” The bar is accepting cash payments, according to a person familiar with the arrangement.
“We're thrilled to see so much interest in opening the historic Governor's Inn. As it was built in the 1800s, there was a lot to renovate and the building was stripped down to the studs. But please look forward to the opening,” Mattia said. In the meantime, he did not comment on the DeSantis team's use of the grounds.
Prior to his appointment by DeSantis to the Orlando Airport Authority, Mattia owned Baggage Airline Guest Services, an airport baggage logistics company that provided baggage handling for the cruise ship industry out of the Orlando airport. Matthias sold the company in 2018 for $275 million, according to a news release from his law firm. In February, after he took office, he was granted a patent for technology to track baggage as it travels between airports and cruise ships, according to public records.
Angela Stark, a spokeswoman for the aviation authority, said board members comply with the state's conflict of interest laws and that current board members have not recused themselves from airport matters based on those guidelines. Stated.
Mr. DeSantis has a history of courting big donors throughout his time as governor, including promoting interest in private air travel. He made numerous private trips in private jets and accepted lodging and meals from major donors, according to flight manifests, tracking data and other documents previously obtained by The Washington Post. One donor also lent an expensive golf simulator to the governor's mansion. Mr. DeSantis then directed $92 million of remaining federal coronavirus stimulus funds to controversial highway interchange projects that directly benefit those same donors.
In the final months of the campaign, Nick Iarossi, Tallahassee's top lobbyist and DeSantis campaign co-funding chair, was involved in an exchange with another client, Carlos Duart, CEO of CDR Enterprises, according to people familiar with the matter. They contacted him and asked for donations for December. I am familiar with contributing. Iarossi, a friend of Mr. DeSantis, has lobbied on Mr. Duart's behalf in the past and continues to lobby on his behalf, according to people familiar with the matter.
CDR, which won an at-will contract from DeSantis' team to provide coronavirus vaccinations at long-term care facilities, sent out the $1 million check just days before Christmas, a time when most of its major donors He reportedly passed on DeSantis as a likely candidate. For campaign finance records. It was the only seven-figure check DeSantis' initiative received in December, highlighting how difficult funding has become.
Mr. Iarossi and Mr. Duart declined to comment.
At times, local interests seemed to emphasize their loyalty. On July 25, DeSantis' campaign announced that it had laid off about a third of its employees, citing a lack of funding. On the same day, Mr. Soffer, chairman and chief executive officer of Fontainebleau Development, donated $1 million to Never Back Down, according to campaign records.
Campaign finance records show Mr. Soffer was a frequent backer of Mr. DeSantis and provided the governor with the use of his private jet while he was in office. Mr. Soffer's firm also hired the lobbying firm of Michael Corcoran, a member of Mr. DeSantis' presidential campaign's National Fiscal Advisory Council. Mr. DeSantis appointed Mr. Michael's brother, former Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran (R), as the state's education secretary and later as president of New College of Florida.
At the time of the July donation, Soffer was pressuring Tallahassee lawmakers for legislative approval to transfer the casino license from Broward County to the Fontainebleau Hotel. The proposal, promoted by Soffer, was introduced in the state Legislature by Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, a prominent DeSantis ally. Mr. Ingoglia has secured the governor's support in the state, raised money for his campaign, and is widely seen as the governor's most sympathetic member in Florida politics. Blaze also took over after the Friends of Ron DeSantis transferred all of their funds to Never Back Down.
On February 5, two weeks after DeSantis dropped out of the race, a spokesperson for Mr. DeSantis announced that the governor was “positive” to support legislation that would authorize the transfer of casino licenses to Miami Beach. did. Because it would “remove casinos from residential blue-collar communities.” ”
Nevertheless, the bill failed to pass the Legislature for the governor's signature. But Soffer is expected to push the move further in the next parliament. Michael Corcoran and Fontainebleau Development did not respond to requests for comment about the donation.
