Report: Alex Diaz de la Portilla sole source of income was a firm he founded, paid $900K for work on brother’s campaign

Alex Diaz de la Portilla made all of his income last year through a political consulting firm he founded, which POLITICO Florida reported was paid nearly $900,000 for work on his brother’s failed state Senate bid.

POLITICO Florida reported that Diaz de la Portilla, who is vying to replace Sen. Frank Artiles in Senate District 40, started the firm, First Stone Management, in January 2016. The company was paid $897,578 for campaign-related work during the 2016 election cycle. Of that, POLITICO Florida reported $400,000 of it came directly from his brother, former state Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla or a political committee he controls.

His firm was also paid $353,000 from the Florida Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, and $65,000 from Innovate Florida, the political committee controlled by Sen. Bill Galvano.

Diaz de la Portilla told POLITICO Florida he earned income from other sources besides his brother’s campaign. However, he declined to go into detail, saying it was from private sources and said it was proprietary and confidential.

Diaz de la Portilla is one of two Republicans vying to replace Artiles, who resigned earlier this year amid scandal, in the Florida Senate. Rep. Jose Felix Diaz is also running for his party’s nomination.

Democrats Annette Taddeo, Ana Rivas Logan, and Steve Smith have also filed to run.