Bowen Kou sues Florida Senate Republicans over ‘racist’ attack ads

Florida Senate candidate Bowen Kou sued the Florida Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee over attack ads his campaign describes as racist.

The legal action came after flyers hit mailboxes in Senate District 13 showing the Chinese American candidate’s picture and a headline asking “Why are Chinese donors flooding Bowen Kou with cash?”

On the back side of the mailer, there are outlines of the states where donations came from, along with an area pointing to an outline of China. There are also numerous listings of donors with ethnically Chinese names.

But Kou, founder of an international grocery chain, said his donations come from personal associates he knows through business or in his network of personal friends. The vast majority of donors are Chinese Americans, many of whom were born in the U.S.

“I have never received any political donations from China or members of the CCP. I had to flee communist China because they persecuted me for my Christian beliefs,” Kou said.

Disclosures indicate the ad was paid for by the FRSCC, which notably endorsed state Rep. Keith Truenow, a Tavares Republican, for the open SD 13 seat. Notably, the ad calls the race a “Lake County state Senate race,” identifying the county where Truenow lives, but the district also covers much of west Orange County, including Kou’s Windermere home.

Kou sued the FRSCC, the political arm of Senate Republicans. His campaign also said he was suing Florida’s Voice, which earlier this week ran an interview with Kou and confronted him with “allegations of being funded by CCP, the Chinese Communist Party.”

“These allegations sicken me, and I am disheartened that Truenow and the Florida Senate Caucus would attack me, a fellow Republican based on my heritage,” Kou said. “I am an American of Asian descent.”

Kou has largely self-funded his race for state Senate. But the screenshots, from Division of Elections public reports, also show hundreds of donations, many from individuals with Chinese names. Notably, the mailer clearly indicates many have Windermere addresses, but others also come from outside the state.

Earlier this year, Kou, who was born in China, told Florida Politics he moved to the U.S. in college. After studying business there, he bought and founded a number of grocery stores and now operates the Fresh International Market chain in seven states, and operates other businesses in Florida. Many of the donations from his campaign come directly from grocery store locations, or from individuals who have supported Kou’s business ventures.

FRSCC officials did not respond to requests for comment on the ads, nor did Truenow’s. campaign. The ad disclaimer indicated it is part of a three-pack ad supporting Truenow, Senate President-designate and FRSCC Chair Ben Albritton and Tom Leek, an FRSCC-endorsed candidate running in Senate District 11.

Both lawsuits from Kou were filed by Anthony Sabatini, an attorney and controversial ex-lawmaker running for Lake County Commission. Kou said he met Sabatini, the chair of the Republican Party of Lake County, at GOP functions.

The complaint filed against the FRSCC seeks $1 million in damages and calls the organization a “dark money political committee funded by special interests. It alleges defamation of Kou and of Chinese Americans the mailer implies live in China.

The lawsuit against Florida’s Voice also seeks $1 million. It says the article about Kou has led to harassment of close business associates.

Hong Kou, the candidate’s wife, said many of those donors listed are third- or fourth-generation Americans who simply have Chinese Americans. She said it’s wrong even to label Kou as Chinese as he is a U.S. citizen and no longer a Chinese national.

Asked if litigation could complicate Kou’s relationship to Senate leadership, she suggested the question be redirected.

“We are doing nothing wrong,” Hong Kou said. “This is the party leaders’ problem. They have to think about how will they work with Bowen if he wins when they have put things with that type of racism and hatred out.”