Jesse Scheckner
A pro-Ron DeSantis super PAC that served as the primary financial support engine for the Governor’s failed bid for President has given most of its leftover cash to his rechristened federal war chest.
The super PAC, Never Back Down, just reported that it donated just over $5.25 million in early August to Restore Our Nation (RON PAC), which previously operated under the name Ron DeSantis for President.
Since the transfer went through, RON PAC has ramped up its fundraising texts, emails and social media posts. Some have included messages supporting the presidential campaign of DeSantis’ of on-again/off-again ally, Donald Trump. Others have touted the candidacy of Tim Sheehy, who is running to supplant Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester in Montana.
By Sept. 30, Never Back Down had spent all but $625,000 of the more than $145.5 million it amassed since its February 2023 formation under ex-Chair Adam Laxalt, a former Nevada Attorney General. Its Treasurer is Cabell Hobbs, who has also worked for the anti-Joe Biden PAC Duty to America and Ted Cruz Victory Fund, among others.
Never Back Down’s Tuesday filing with the Federal Election Commission shows it made nearly $5.6 million in donations last quarter. Other sizable expenditures by the PAC included $85,000 paid to Washington-based Dickinson Wright for “legal consulting,” $67,500 to Austin-based Rightside Compliance for “compliance consulting,” and rent payments of $97,000 to INOP Acquisitions and $32,000 to Strategic Real Estate Partners in Atlanta.
Never Back Down also received just over $32,600 from five contributors and interest income through Arlington-based IntraFi, which is principally owned by Warburg Pincus and Blackstone.
RON PAC, meanwhile, collected $5.57 million last quarter from more than 280 contributors. Other big donations included $33,000 from Miami-based consulting firm CDR Enterprises and $25,000 apiece from Jacksonville-based multifamily housing developer The Vestcor Companies and St. Johns County-based heavy equipment dealer Ring Power.
The committee also got a pair of $25,000 contributions from Jacksonville businessman and former U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas John D. Rood and his wife, Sonya.
Rood, whom DeSantis reappointed to the Florida Prepaid College Board last year, served on the Governor’s National Finance Committee.
David Drysdale, Chair and President of the St. Augustine Alligator Farm, gave $10,000. So did Ponte Vedra Beach-based Teresa Radzinksi of Bank of America and Virginia resident Lewis Pollard, who has also given $2,900 to Trump since 2022 and in 2016 gave $500 to Marco Rubio’s campaign for the White House.
RON PAC also spent more than $1.3 million last quarter. Most of it — $700,000 — went to the Republican Party of Florida. Much of the remainder covered digital and fundraising consulting.
Altogether, DeSantis and those supporting his presidential bid spent $168 million. Roughly 78% of it came from Never Back Down. His own campaign spent $28.3 million from May to December. Another super PAC called Fight Right reported spending $9.6 million on DeSantis between November and December.
DeSantis dropped out of the presidential race Jan. 21 and immediately endorsed Trump. But he hasn’t given up hope that he’ll one day be Commander-in-Chief, several GOP insiders told POLITICO in August.
