(RepublicanView.org) – Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has been accused of breaking a campaign finance law by influencing the ads of a super political action committee funding his bid for president.
The Campaign Legal Center filed a complaint on December 18th that accused his team of working with Never Back Down to publish ads supportive of his run. Additionally, they claim DeSantis and his team intentionally accepted donations that violated the Federal Election Campaign Act.
The PAC claims to be an independent firm but has donated hundreds of millions to DeSantis. It has become an essential component of his campaign strategy. The Campaign Legal Center compared the super PAC to being a “campaign arm” by exceeding federal donation caps. That means businesses and wealthy individuals can exert more influence by promising greater sums of cash.
DeSantis and his wife are also accused of influencing the super PAC to run ads against Nikki Haley, one of his opponents who has been rising in popularity recently. Polls have shown that Haley would likely win a landslide victory over current President Joe Biden if the election was held today.
Andrew Romeo of the DeSantis campaign refuted the accusations during a press release. They are “baseless” and full of “rumors,” according to Romeo.
The accusations come just days after Jeff Roe stepped down as the chief strategist for the super PAC. Roe stepped down after the PAC’s chairman blamed the firing of multiple officials on “mismanagement and conduct issues.” Roe rejected these comments and called them an “unwanted distraction” during a pivotal time for DeSantis and his campaign. Never Back Down also underwent significant staffing changes, including the firing of three top executives, in recent weeks.
DeSantis continues to lag far behind Donald Trump in second place in his bid for the 2024 Republican nomination. Trump still maintains a 50-point lead. Haley is close behind DeSantis by only 1 point. The party is expected to announce its nominee on July 15, 2024 during its convention in Milwaukee, WI.
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