When Ron DeSantis snagged the endorsement of Freedom Partners Action Fund, it was seen as a signal that would open the floodgates from the national GOP donors. | John Raoux/AP Photo Koch-backed group backing DeSantis isn't reporting source of $300K in contributions

TALLAHASSEE — The Koch network-aligned political committee funding a statewide mail campaign helping Ron DeSantis’ gubernatorial campaign has not disclosed the source of more than $300,000 in contributions to its Florida political committee, a move that appears at odds with state election law.

When DeSantis snagged the endorsement of Freedom Partners Action Fund, a group tied to the Koch network, it was seen as a signal that would open the floodgates from the national GOP donors who have long supported Koch-endorsed candidates.


The Florida political committee set up by the group on July 11 has spent nearly $320,000 through Aug. 3, according to its publicly posted Florida campaign finance reports, to support the “targeted, statewide mail campaign” it promised DeSantis when endorsing his campaign.

During that time period, however, the group lists just one $10,000 contribution from Tampa-area attorney Martin Garcia, leaving about $210,000 in donor cash unaccounted for.

State election law requires all contributions that support spending be reported.

“Under Florida law, candidates and committees must report all contributions, loans, expenditures, distributions, and transfers, regardless of the amount,” said Sarah Revell, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of State.

She commented after POLITICO provided information specifically about the Freedom Partners Action Fund. Revell also cited a Florida statute that notes “expenditures cannot be authorized unless there are sufficient funds in the account to cover the full amount of the expense.”

J.C. Planas, a Miami-based Republican election law attorney who supports GOP gubernatorial candidate and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam but is not being paid by his campaign, said: “No legal way around this, and violation is most likely criminal."

A spokesman for the Virginia-based group, however, said it follows applicable laws.

“Freedom Partners Action Fund complies with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations,” said Dave Abrams, a group spokesman.

He did not respond to follow-up questions when POLITICO sent him a response from the Department of State indicating that the department did not see the scenario as compliant with state election law. State election officials cannot initiate reviews of political committee spending or reporting; those are driven by the Florida Commission on Ethics, which reviews complaints when filed. The committee cannot initiate its own investigations.

The early round of mail makes the case that DeSantis’ economic policies align with those espoused by the Koch network, which has long been one of the nation’s biggest Republican donors. The first piece of mail did not touch on DeSantis’ specific record during three terms in Congress, but it said he would be a “champion for taxpayers.”

During his time in Congress, DeSantis, who represents a coastal district south of Jacksonville, has become a darling of national conservative groups, including those aligned with the Koch network. It had long been assumed in Florida political circles that the Kochs would support him in his primary fight against Putnam.

The endorsement brought in a wave of cash but has also put DeSantis in the middle of a fight between the Koch network and President Donald Trump, who has been one of DeSantis’ biggest supporters. The Kochs have long backed free-trade policies and have been critical of the Trump administration's tariff policies in recent weeks. That rift has prompted Trump to hammer the Kochs publicly, calling them a “joke.”

Putnam, who is trailing in the polls, has jumped on the president’s criticism, asking in a release last week, “Is DeSantis happy to accept millions from people against strengthening our borders and negotiating powerful trade deals?”