Gray Rohrer
The Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) pulled in almost five times as much money in the second quarter as the Florida Democratic Party (FDP), giving the GOP a significant edge as the parties head into the General Election season following Tuesday’s Primary.
RPOF reported receiving $24.3 million from April 1 to Aug. 18, while the FDP reported $4.9 million, according to Division of Election records.
The largest single donor to RPOF was Kenneth Griffin, a hedge fund manager who owns residences in Palm Beach County and Coral Gables, who gave $5 million — more than the entire FDP haul. Griffin has previously given $5 million to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ political committee.
RPOF was also boosted by $2 million from Stefan Brodie, a founder of Purolite, a Pennsylvania-based chemical manufacturing company. Brodie was charged with violating the Trading with the Enemy Act and the Cuban Asset Control Regulations barring trade with Cuba, but was acquitted in 2002.
Other notable RPOF donors include private prison company GEO Group ($100,000); Florida Power & Light and its parent company, NextEra Energy ($85,000); and Centene, a health management company that manages part of Florida’s multi-billion dollar Medicaid program ($280,000).
RPOF also received funds from political committees controlled by DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody. In Moody’s case, the $450,000 was turned around to help pay for her campaign staff. DeSantis gave nearly $10 million.
FDP’s largest donor was Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire former Mayor of New York City who ran for President in 2020, who gave $1 million. Other large contributors include the Service Employees International Union of Florida ($110,000); the Florida Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union ($125,000); and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees ($25,000).
FDP was also aided by donations from law firms, led by The Morgan Firm headed by Orlando lawyer John Morgan ($100,000).
Several companies and trade groups whose bottom lines are affected by the state government gave to both parties, such as Publix ($25,000 each); Florida Realtors ($350,000 to RPOF and $90,000 to FDP); and the Seminole Tribe ($400,000 to RPOF and $100,000 to FDP).
Political committees controlled by U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist and Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, who are engaged in a Primary battle with each other to see who will face DeSantis in the General Election, made pass-through donations which helped pay their campaign staff. Crist gave $450,000 and Fried gave $630,000.
As of Aug. 18, FDP had $17.15 million in its account and RPOF had $21.2 million.
9 comments
Joe Corsin
August 22, 2022 at 12:55 pm
That’s because GOP is the party of the rich…do nothing for anyone else accept give them menial, low wage, slave labor. In 40 years, people will be working for food only. Only the select few will have a pot to piss in… thanks to stupid GOP voters out in the sticks. Their minds blown on far right propaganda pushers bought and paid for by the capitalists.
Impeach Biden
August 22, 2022 at 12:58 pm
Tell that to the Clinton’s, Obama’s, Kerry’s, Biden’s, Waters, etc. etc. Scene some of the Plantations those slave owners live in?
Joe Corsin
August 22, 2022 at 1:15 pm
Doesn’t matter how much a politician has in the bank. At least the Dems do SOMETHING for people numb nuts. GOP ONLY votes in favor of the rich. This is sustainable? You don’t know ye balls from ye bung hole buddy🍩😆
Ron Ogden
August 22, 2022 at 1:18 pm
Don’t you just love Democrats? Today they call us “stupid.” Yesterday, we were “deplorable”. (How did that one work out, Joe?) What other names have you seen? What other threats to throw Republicans into prisons or mental health institutions–or to flat murder us for the sake of retaining Democratic power? You know Crist and Demings think it. At least Fried has had the guts to say it out loud. Then there is this fellow, whose level of crude self-interest, intellectual complacency, and moral tyranny is just the formula it takes to help Florida Democrats descend into irrelevancy, as they are doing right in front of our eyes. Their nominee for Governor is going to be an old has been Republican whom every pro in the state knows just flat “sucked!” as governor before and who is interested only in positioning himself against Gavin Newsom and Pete Buttijiggle for the 2024 presidential nomination. The biggest danger posed by Corsin and others of his ilk is that you can make yourself ill laughing. But acid reflux does draw people’s attention, and that it what they want, fer sure!
Joe Corsin
August 22, 2022 at 1:30 pm
How did that work out?
1) Trump fired and cooked
2) Slew of idiots got arrested for J6
3) They lost House and Senate
* If you are rich then I don’t think you are stupid if you vote GOP. But it’s those who vote for them against their own interests who are stupid… because they do nothing for anyone who isn’t rich. Rick Scott is a fine example of GQP attitude. Imagine nothing but guys like him in Congress and the executive. Trust me, Dems are about as far right as a party should be in America. Use your gd head for Christ sakes and lay off the far right propaganda.
Tom
August 22, 2022 at 2:59 pm
To be clear, today’s GOP is the party of the blue collar, middle class, working class. Hispanics, other minorities that are not sucked into modern Socialism.
There is no other way describing it.
Ain’t Mr Potters ( wonderful life) or Daddy war bucks ( Annie) party!
Corsin you are one of the best examples as to why people’s flee the Dems. You reap what you sew. I see you trying to share actual thoughts, memo you still are a loser!
The FP legend has spoken.
Ocean Joe
August 22, 2022 at 5:55 pm
If you were serious about blue collar, middle class, working class your party wouldn’t constantly oppose any effort to reform health care or lower drug prices, or tamper with social security which you opposed from its’ inception.
If you were serious about working people your party would not have gone to war to block a minimum wage increase.
If you were serious about Hispanics your Lt Gov wouldn’t have spilled the beans about shipping some of them to Delaware, another stunt that demonstrates both cruelty and hatred of immigrants much like the separation of infants from parents. It’s funny to you guys when Texas does it, you try it here and the Cuban voters you rely on might wise up.
If you were serious about regular people, you’d admit Gov Scott boobytrapped the unemployment compensation system to discourage and deny benefits to folks who paid into the fund. Enough blah blah about working people.
You care about the wealthy and those you can string along by riling them up with defamatory nonsense about elections.
When Dominion and Smartmatic have their days in court against Fox, the engine of most of this idiocy, large verdicts are coming. There is no defense, just a determination of damages.
nail
August 22, 2022 at 7:52 pm
“For too long, the requirements to be a teacher have been too rigid.” Ron DeSantis
To much, his 3 day teacher indoctrination, to change history has gone to far. Another 238 teachers quit in one week.
Indoctrination best line: The Constitution was built on the 10 Commandments. When asked by a teacher, how can I teach that, it’s not right or correct?
desantis instructor” They did not teach you the truth….LOL
Another indoctrination lie: The designers of the Constitution really did want church and state to be one…
Any parent who wants dumbed down children, that will never have a future, will vote for desantis.
Good thing the poling today. #1 What is the most important issue today: – Keeping our Democracy 62%
#2 Abortion – I will not vote for anyone who will ban or restrict abortion.69%
Elliott Offen
August 22, 2022 at 7:57 pm
That’s the biggest lie in human history buddy. Certainly you must be trolling 😆
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