Bill Galvano, Wilton Simpson raise big in November

LEGIS PHOTOS 04.28 13 GALVANO
Simpson raised $435,000. Galvano raised $131,000.

Political committees tied to Senate President Bill Galvano and Senate President-designate Wilton Simpson posted six-figure finance reports for November.

Simpson’s committee, Jobs for Florida, deposited 22 checks totaling $435,151 last month. A $60,000 contribution from Florida Prosperity Fund, a political committee tied to the Associated Industries of Florida, was the largest single contribution.

AIF-linked committees chipped in another $125,000, while Publix sent $50,000 to the committee. Other donors included Florida Power & Light Company, Florida Blue and Florida East Coast Industries.

The committee showed nearly $700,000 in spending, though $400,000 of that was marked down as contributions to Florida Green PAC and Future Florida, political committees that are also chaired by the Trilby Republican.

Actual spending measured in at $393,498, with more than half paying for fundraising expenses and the bulk of the rest paying for consultants.

Jobs for Florida entered December with about $1.3 million in the bank. Florida Green and Future Florida each have about $400,000 on hand, which puts Simpson at the $2.1 million mark across the three accounts.

Galvano, meanwhile, tacked on another $131,000 through his political committee, Innovate Florida. AIF was also his biggest benefactor thanks to a $50,000 check from political committee Floridians for a Stronger Democracy.

The Big Easy Casino staked the Bradenton Republican with a $25,000 check last month, while Disney tossed him an equal amount. The GEO Group and a handful of health care companies rounded out the list.

The expenditure sheet showed about $125,000 in spending, $75,000 of which went to Taxpayers in Action, a political committee which affiliated with Republican Sen. Debbie Mayfield. Innovate Florida closed out the month with $57,000 in the bank.

Drew Wilson

Drew Wilson is Vice President of Florida Politics, where he helps lead a talented team that produces must-read newsletters including Sunburn, Takeaways from Tallahassee, and Diagnosis. A University of Florida alumnus, he began his career at The Independent Florida Alligator — the nation’s largest student-run newspaper and a training ground for many of Florida’s top political reporters. He later served as a business correspondent for The Hollywood Reporter, then returned to Tallahassee to cover the state economy and Legislature for LobbyTools and The Florida Current, before segueing to Florida Politics, where he’s been for more than a decade. He spends too much time workshopping zingers for Capitol Directions — and not enough time outdoors.



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