See the ‘rustic lodge’ Josh Weil’s campaign spent 5 figures on for campaign HQ as Dems question spending spree

A compound in Silver Springs bills itself on Airbnb as a “nicely decorated, rustic lodge” perfect for weddings or retreats. But congressional candidate Josh Weil is renting out the complex as his campaign headquarters.

As the Democratic nominee in an April 1 Special Election in Florida’s 6th Congressional District, Weil has lived full time on the property in a complex with 18 bedrooms across three buildings, including a lake house. Federal reports show he spent more than $51,000 to rent the property on March 6 — and a total of $62,000 on Airbnb rentals overall — as an unusual and extravagant campaign expense.

For that price, the property includes a tennis court, at-home gym, pool table and sauna, features that seem unlikely to help Weil overcome an extreme demographic disadvantage in a district where 66.5% of voters re-elected Republican Michael Waltz to Congress in November.

On Tuesday, Weil faces Republican Randy Fine, a state Senator endorsed by Donald Trump to replace Waltz, who resigned to become National Security Adviser. The race marks the first congressional Special Election since Trump’s return to the White House, and Democrats eager to send a message contributed more than $10 million to Weil for his long-shot race.

But in Florida, an increasing number of Democrats have grown concerned and suspicious about whether that money has been spent responsibly.

The rental of the Silver Springs compound stands as one of the most colorful luxuries that Weil’s campaign team elected to fund, and staffers for Weil defend the expense.

“This rental is a multipurpose home used for campaign activities that enables various members of the campaign team to have a presence in the western portion of the district,” said Wendy Garcia, Weil’s Campaign Manager.

“Having access to this has allowed for the campaign to reduce costs for lodging and office space that quickly add up on a campaign. Randy Fine should stop trying to distract voters from his plans to cut jobs for veterans and destroy Social Security and Medicare.”

Fine spotlighted the rentals in a press release Monday, where he also called out Weil for pulling a salary from his campaign account. Notably, Fine hasn’t done so, nor has he spent as much as Weil on other campaign expenses. The Palm Bay Republican’s last campaign fundraising report showed he raised less than $1 million as of March 12, and had less than $93,000 cash on hand still available compared to Weil’s $1.3 million at the same point in time.

Weil’s campaign responded by saying Fine underestimated the Democrat’s ability to fight in the district.

“Randy Fine is lashing out with lies and attacks because he knows he’s in trouble in this race,” Weil said. “Our campaign has the momentum, and that’s reflected in what we’ve seen in the early vote, because we remain focused on what truly matters to the voters. Our campaign is dedicated to protecting Medicare and Social Security and lowering costs, ensuring that our seniors and families have the support they need to thrive.”

But Democratic operatives unaffiliated with the campaign said they have serious concerns about where the campaign has directed the money. More than $2.6 million has gone to Key Lime Strategies and Media, a consulting firm in Tampa Bay which has the unusual service offering of charging a 25% cut of all true profits from fundraising.

Key Lime CEO Jackson McMillan defended that fundraising model in a statement to Florida Politics.

“Randy Fine is trying to discredit our fundraising because he’s been caught sleeping at the wheel, running a weak race and now he’s in trouble,” said McMillan, Weil’s Finance Director.

“Let’s be clear, our pricing structure is listed on our website. I’m proud of how our digital fundraising team has excelled in bringing in grassroots donations from around Florida and the country. It costs money to make money and reach national donors, and we take a commission only on the money that we raise for the campaigns we work for, we do not take a percentage of the total money raised by campaigns.”

The firm is also working with Democrat Gay Valimont’s campaign for an April 1 Special Election in Florida’s 1st Congressional District. Valimont has also outraised Republican opponent Jimmy Patronis in an even more Republican-leaning district.

What that fundraising will deliver remains an open question. Both Valimont and Weil have expressed confidence that they can win their races in Special Election environments. Democrats close to Weil’s campaign acknowledged that even if he falls short of a majority, an overperformance could validate Weil’s campaign platform of focusing on Social Security and insurance issues as Democrats head into a Midterm Election cycle.

But other Democrats say it always seemed likely that Valimont and Weil would overperform in the Special Elections. Democratic voters pay close attention to Special Elections and many feel eager to fight against Trump loyalists right now.

It’s not just the 67-acre compound rental that has raised concerns among Democrats. Many question whether Weil has saved enough money for TV in the final stretch before the Tuesday election.

And Weil’s campaign already upset prominent Democratic figures including U.S. Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, a New York progressive star, and David Hogg, a March For Our Lives co-founder recently elected as Vice Chair for the Democratic National Committee, by promoting video testimonials without permission or proper context.

Weil could spend more on the April Special Election than any Democrat running for Congress in Florida spent directly in 2024. But it remains an open question whether the public will buy his message, and whether operating from a lavish abode will help turn out the vote.