Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is accused of violating campaign finance laws by allegedly guiding a super PAC supporting his presidential candidacy on ad strategies, according to a complaint from a nonpartisan watchdog group.
The Campaign Legal Center claims illegal coordination between DeSantis and the Never Back Down PAC, accusing his campaign of knowingly accepting prohibited contributions.
Despite being intended as an independent entity, the super PAC has played a pivotal role in funding DeSantis’ presidential campaign, raising concerns about legal boundaries, as stated by the Campaign Legal Center.
“When a super PAC like Never Back Down illegally coordinates its election spending with a candidate’s campaign, the super PAC effectively becomes an arm of the campaign,” said Saurav Ghosh, director of federal campaign finance reform at Campaign Legal Center.
“That circumvents federal contribution limits and reporting requirements, and gives the super PAC’s special interest backers, including corporations and ultra-wealthy individuals, a concerning level of influence over elected officials and policymaking.”
The complaint references reports from multiple news sources, outlining purported collaboration and unclear distinctions between the DeSantis campaign and the super PAC. This includes instances where the PAC assumed responsibilities typically handled by a candidate’s campaign. The complaint also points to an alleged breach in the relationship, citing requests from DeSantis and his wife to revive an ad previously run by Never Back Down but later removed against opponent Nikki Haley.
Additionally, a series of high-ranking officials at Never Back Down have either resigned or been terminated in recent weeks, reportedly stemming from internal conflicts and management problems.
