The Florida Commission on Ethics dismissed a complaint filed by a Trump-aligned super PAC that accused Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) of violating state law by using his state to fundraise and court a presidential run without declaring his candidacy.
The Make America Great Again Inc. PAC filed the complaint in March, alleging DeSantis is guilty of “illegal conduct” by using his Friends of Ron DeSantis PAC to fundraise in the early months of 2023 despite not launching a White House bid. However, the Florida commission shot down those allegations in a 12-page report released this week, ruling that MAGA Inc. failed to cite specific allegations that were in violation of the law.
DESANTIS-ALIGNED PAC PAINTS FLORIDA GOVERNOR AS TRUMP’S SUCCESSOR
“The compliant fails to indicate in a factual, substantive, nonconclusory manner that [DeSantis] solicited or accepted anything with an understanding that it would influence an official decision associated with his public office,” the ethics board wrote, according to the report obtained by Fox News. “The complaint details alleged actions taken by other organizations for the benefit of [DeSantis’] anticipated presidential campaign, but never once expressly alleges that [DeSantis] and these organizations have an agreement or understanding, or that [DeSantis] has conditioned any public action on any donation, contribution, gift, or other thing of value.”
The group accused DeSantis of possibly violating state law by using his “personally lucrative book tour” to court voters, alleging that the governor likely used the opportunity to solicit or accept gifts. The ethics commission rejected that allegation, calling the accusations merely speculative.
The commission also ruled that the book royalties earned from the book were no different from “what other similarly-situated public figures could obtain for the same or similar work.”
MAGA Inc. also pointed to DeSantis’s book tour as a possible ethics violation because it causes him to be “absent for Florida.” However, the commission dismissed those complaints, ruling “there is no inherent reason why [DeSantis], as Governor, cannot travel outside the State.”
“The complaint does not provide additional information to establish that such travel creates a continuing or frequently recurring conflict between his private interests and the performance of his public duties,” the report states.
The ethics complaint marked the latest escalation from former President Donald Trump’s allies to attack DeSantis, who has not yet announced whether he intends to run for president but is considered to be Trump’s closest rival. Although once friendly, Trump and DeSantis have since distanced themselves as they both eye the GOP nomination in 2024 — with the former president especially ramping up attacks against the Florida governor in recent weeks.
More than half (51%) of Republican voters say they’d back Trump compared to just 38% who said they’d vote for DeSantis, giving the former president a substantial lead over his closest rival, according to a recent poll from the Wall Street Journal. However, DeSantis dominates the field when it comes to campaign cash, far outraising his possible opponents for the GOP nomination.
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Meanwhile, Trump has benefited from a number of high-profile endorsements. More than 50 Republican House members have endorsed Trump for the GOP nomination compared to just three for DeSantis. Among those, 10 Republican House members from DeSantis’s home turf in Florida have offered their support to Trump over the state’s governor.
DeSantis has ramped up efforts to establish a national standing before deciding whether to run for president, as the Republican governor held scheduled meetings with several members of Congress in Washington this month. However, that plan seemed to backfire in some cases after a handful of GOP members publicly endorsed Trump just hours after meeting with DeSantis.
