The Kochs Are DeSantis’s Latest Scandal-Plagued Donors

Last night, Politico reported that the Koch brothers network — which is heavily backing Ron DeSantis and funding his direct mail program — have failed to disclose “the source of more than $300,000 in contributions to its Florida political committee, a move that appears at odds with state election law.”

It’s just the latest example of Ron DeSantis’ out-of-state billionaires engaging in shady — and even illegal — activity.

In the past week alone, the Associated Press reported that one of DeSantis’s top donors, Andy Khawaja, helped businesses involved in “very, very illegal” process online payments. A day later, The Daily Beast reported that another DeSantis donor, Global Energy Producers LLC, is involved in a pay-to-play scheme to profit off of the Trump administration’s Russia policy.

“Out-of-state, right-wing billionaires are pouring millions into Ron DeSantis’s campaign because they know that as governor he would fight for their special interest agenda — not Florida’s working families,” said FDP spokesperson Kevin Donohoe. “Florida voters want a governor who will fight for them — not a puppet of shady out-of-state billionaires.”

GateHouse Media’s John Kennedy this weekend reported that out-of-state donors are funneling cash into DeSantis’s gubernatorial campaign at a record rate. Those funders include the Koch brothers, who bear much of the blame for destroying Florida’s film and solar industries and Sheldon Adelson, who spent heavily to defeat a medical marijuana referendum in 2014.