Ron DeSantis, a Republican governor of Florida, lost access to 200,000 supporters in May after a district court rejected a political action committee (PAC) set up to support the governor's bid for the presidency in 2024.
The governor's supporters created Ready for Ron (RFR) with the goal of obtaining 1 million voter signatures urging DeSantis to declare his 2024 presidential candidacy. According to a court document, the group collected 200,000 petitions.
Florida Politics reported that the Federal Election Commission (FEC) discovered that the contact list could be a source of potential donors that might be used to send fundraising solicitations exceeding federal campaign finance limits. The PAC wanted to send the petitions and the email addresses of the signatories to the governor's office to urge him to run in 2024.
The PAC appealed the commission's decision in court, and Judge Randolph Moss of the Washington, D.C., U.S. District Court upheld it.
In a memo submitted on Wednesday, Moss stated: "The Court agrees with the Commission that what RFR calls a petition is, in fact, a contact list and, more importantly, an in-kind contribution." The Federal Election Campaign Act ("FECA" or the "Act") contribution limits, which are subject to compliance with constitutional requirements, are as a result applicable to the list.
"The Commission unanimously concluded that RFR was, in all but name, seeking authorization to provide Governor DeSantis with an in-kind contribution—that is, a contact list masquerading as a petition. Based on that finding, the Commission further held that if Governor DeSantis were to start exploring a run for office, and similarly if he were to win the nomination, the campaign finance laws would prevent RFR from providing him with that contact list because the list's market value exceeds the applicable contribution limit and because RFR financed its campaign with a mix of regulated funds (hard money) and unregulated funds (soft money).
The "woke" policies promoted by the "radical" left, according to the RFR petition, are putting America in "grave danger," and DeSantis is the answer.
"It IS time to revive the America-First agenda. Like Ronald Reagan, Governor Ron DeSantis is the next great American president who will rebuild our nation. We cannot wait and let the Left steal another election; we must organize IMMEDIATELY. I'm prepared for Ron. Please let Ron know I support him and want to be a part of his team!" the petition pleaded.
According to a January statement from RFR, the organization intends to invest over $3 million in supporting DeSantis and setting up a campaign should the Republican decide to run for the GOP presidential nomination, Fox News reported at the time.
According to DeSantis' political team, the governor is not associated with the PAC, and RFR's actions may endanger the governor. Prior to his reelection in the 2022 midterm elections, his campaign reportedly cited a memo from the previous year that stated contributions to the non-affiliated PAC "do not benefit Governor DeSantis or his re-election."
The governor's supporters created Ready for Ron (RFR) with the goal of obtaining 1 million voter signatures urging DeSantis to declare his 2024 presidential candidacy. According to a court document, the group collected 200,000 petitions.
Florida Politics reported that the Federal Election Commission (FEC) discovered that the contact list could be a source of potential donors that might be used to send fundraising solicitations exceeding federal campaign finance limits. The PAC wanted to send the petitions and the email addresses of the signatories to the governor's office to urge him to run in 2024.
The PAC appealed the commission's decision in court, and Judge Randolph Moss of the Washington, D.C., U.S. District Court upheld it.
In a memo submitted on Wednesday, Moss stated: "The Court agrees with the Commission that what RFR calls a petition is, in fact, a contact list and, more importantly, an in-kind contribution." The Federal Election Campaign Act ("FECA" or the "Act") contribution limits, which are subject to compliance with constitutional requirements, are as a result applicable to the list.
"The Commission unanimously concluded that RFR was, in all but name, seeking authorization to provide Governor DeSantis with an in-kind contribution—that is, a contact list masquerading as a petition. Based on that finding, the Commission further held that if Governor DeSantis were to start exploring a run for office, and similarly if he were to win the nomination, the campaign finance laws would prevent RFR from providing him with that contact list because the list's market value exceeds the applicable contribution limit and because RFR financed its campaign with a mix of regulated funds (hard money) and unregulated funds (soft money).
The "woke" policies promoted by the "radical" left, according to the RFR petition, are putting America in "grave danger," and DeSantis is the answer.
"It IS time to revive the America-First agenda. Like Ronald Reagan, Governor Ron DeSantis is the next great American president who will rebuild our nation. We cannot wait and let the Left steal another election; we must organize IMMEDIATELY. I'm prepared for Ron. Please let Ron know I support him and want to be a part of his team!" the petition pleaded.
According to a January statement from RFR, the organization intends to invest over $3 million in supporting DeSantis and setting up a campaign should the Republican decide to run for the GOP presidential nomination, Fox News reported at the time.
According to DeSantis' political team, the governor is not associated with the PAC, and RFR's actions may endanger the governor. Prior to his reelection in the 2022 midterm elections, his campaign reportedly cited a memo from the previous year that stated contributions to the non-affiliated PAC "do not benefit Governor DeSantis or his re-election."
