There wasn’t much secrecy before David Santiago made the decision to run for Ron DeSantis’ CD 6 seat.
As FloridaPolitics.com reported in December, even then Santiago was taking a hard look at the race.
However, some questions have risen about Santiago’s PAC coordination, which led to a few weeks where his federal PAC and his state PAC existed concurrently.
Santiago’s now-closed state PC — “Floridians for a Good Economy” — lists Randall Woodruff as Chair, Treasurer, and Registered Agent.
On February 4, that PC moved the entire remaining balance of $87,487.84, noting the purpose as “disposition of funds due to dissolution.” The funds were then disbursed to an Ocala-based group, also named “Floridians for a Good Economy.”
On January 13, Woodruff filed a Statement of Organization Form for a federal PAC, also with the name “Floridians for a Good Economy.” The exact same name and address of Santiago’s state PC were used to open the federal PAC. As of April 12, there were no reports of contributions or expenditures.
According to one source, the rumor among Santiago supporters is that he has raised approximately $90-98k in PAC money; $87,487.84 would be the lion’s share of that.
Further worth noting is the last contribution Santiago’s state committee received was January 12. Those January contributors, for the most part, heavy-dollar PCs, almost certainly would have been aware that Santiago was eyeing CD 6.
When contacted for comment, Woodruff was terse.
“I’m a CPA,” he said. “Call me back after tax season.”