The Florida Commission on Ethics dismissed a complaint filed by a Trump-aligned super PAC that accused Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) of violating state law by using his state to fundraise and court a presidential run without declaring his candidacy.
The Make America Great Again Inc. PAC filed the complaint in March, alleging DeSantis is guilty of “illegal conduct” by using his Friends of Ron DeSantis PAC to fundraise in the early months of 2023 despite not launching a White House bid. However, the Florida commission shot down those allegations in a 12-page report released this week, ruling that MAGA Inc. failed to cite specific allegations that were in violation of the law.
"The compliant fails to indicate in a factual, substantive, nonconclusory manner that [DeSantis] solicited or accepted anything with an understanding that it would influence an official decision associated with his public office," the ethics board wrote, according to the report obtained by Fox News. "The complaint details alleged actions taken by other organizations for the benefit of [DeSantis'] anticipated presidential campaign, but never once expressly alleges that [DeSantis] and these organizations have an agreement or understanding, or that [DeSantis] has conditioned any public action on any donation, contribution, gift, or other thing of value."
The group accused DeSantis of possibly violating state law by using his “personally lucrative book tour” to court voters, alleging that the governor likely used the opportunity to solicit or accept gifts. The ethics commission rejected that allegation, calling the accusations merely speculative.
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Swing and a miss!
