Tracing the dollars in Florida's political money puzzle

Political committees connected to Florida Power & Light, Florida Crystals and other large corporations have contributed millions of dollars in state elections, including hundreds of thousands to top-of-the-ticket races as well as the majority of state senate races.

As reported in independent journalist Jason Garcia’s Seeking Rents newsletter, executives at the Associated Industries of Florida control five political committees that receive the lion's share of its funds from six companies: Disney, Florida Blue, Florida Crystals, U.S. Sugar, HCA Healthcare and FPL. Since 2019, about 82% of the nearly $30 million contributed to those political committees, or PCs for short, came from those companies.

The five committees are Associated Industries of Florida Political Action Committee, Florida Prosperity Fund, Floridians United for Our Children, Floridians for a Stronger Democracy and Voice of Florida Business. 

Further analysis by City & State finds that the PCs contributed at least $4.4 million total this election cycle to three Republicans running for statewide positions and over 70 candidates from both parties of the legislature. Those donations included enough state senate candidates for a majority in that legislative body if all are elected or reelected this election.

The likely count is much higher, however. The committees also gave hundreds of thousands to partisan-aligned political committees that had no direct connections to candidates, but solicited money from many sources and contributed to several candidates, making direct money connections unclear.

Both the sugar industry and FPL have faced criticism for spending big and influencing Florida politics, public opinion and elections. AIF’s five political committees allow those companies' dollars to financially back candidates without giving them a direct contribution. 

DeSantis, other cabinet candidates get millions

Gov. Ron DeSantis was the largest recipient by far from the five committees. Since November 2020, the governor has received over $2.2 million from them via donations to his campaign account and political committee, called Friends of Ron DeSantis.

The money has rolled in despite DeSantis coming into conflict with several of the political committees’ donors. The governor, for example, vetoed a bill desired and backed by FPL that would have slowed rooftop solar growth in the state. He vetoed a water quality bill championed by Florida’s sugar industry and FPL and criticized by environmental groups. He’s publicly butted heads with Disney and signed special session legislation to revoke the company’s Reedy Creek Improvement District next year, which is used to self-govern the company’s amusement parks and other property.

The candidate with the second most money received was outgoing Senate President and Agriculture Commissioner candidate Wilton Simpson. He received about $340,000 to his campaign account and one of his personal PCs, Friends of Wilton Simpson. The agriculture commissioner oversees the regulation of Florida's agriculture and amusement park industries (as well as charities and concealed weapons), making it an office with large influence over several of the companies backing AIF’s PCs. Simpson also championed the water quality bill that DeSantis vetoed.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s reelection campaign also saw a bump from the PCs, with $195,000 hitting her own PC, Friends of Ashley Moody.

State Senate candidates get almost a million dollars in total

At least 21 State Senate incumbents and candidates received support from the five political committees, enough to account for more than 50% of Florida’s senate seats. In sum, about $960,000 was given through the committees to state senate candidates’ campaign accounts, or political committees they are directly connected, with since November 2021.

The senator that has received the most money is Republican Ben Albritton, who is next in line to become president of the chamber after Kathleen Passidomo. He got almost $240,000 between his campaign account and political committee, named Advancing Florida Agriculture. Albritton was one of the main supporters who backed the water quality bill. He also supported SB 1000, which allowed citrus growers, like U.S. Sugar, to use more fertilizer.

Michael Barfield, director of public access at the Florida Center for Government Accountability, said he wasn’t surprised that so many senators received donations from those PCs because there are more competitive races in that body. But taking that money can come with costs for some politicians. “It impacts their credibility when they campaign that they are out to protect the interest of Florida citizens, when the truth is that they are out to protect the interests of big corporations,” he said.

State Sens. Jason Brodeur and Ileana Garcia were other big beneficiaries. Brodeur took in over $70,000 through his PC, Citizens for Solutions, while Garcia brought in over $40,000 to her PC, No More Socialism. And both Brodeur and Garcia benefited from “ghost candidate” schemes in their 2020 races that had funding connections to FPL, though both candidates have said they weren't involved. 

The PCs also threw some cash at political newcomers who have received strong support from Florida Republicans in tight races against Democratic incumbents. Jay Collins in Tampa, who's challenging Janet Cruz, and Corey Simon in Tallahassee, taking on Loranne Ausley, both received over $17,000 from the committees.

Republican candidates weren’t the only ones to receive donations. State Sen. Shevrin Jones received $17,500 in his PC Florida Strong Finish. And state Sen. Jason Pizzo got $18,000 toward his PC, called New Opportunity Florida.

The Republican political committee web

While City & State was able to identify dozens of candidates that have received donations directly from the five PCs, the total number of candidates that have benefited from contributions is likely many more.

The PCs also donated money to several Republican-associated political committees controlled by either Republican Party leaders (like Wilton Simpson’s Jobs for Florida PC, which took in $570,000 total from the five PC’s since Oct. 2021) and Republican-affiliated accountants (like Eric Robinson’s Working Together For Florida PAC, which took in $480,000 total). 

Those and others took in millions of dollars from individuals, businesses and other PCs this election cycle and have spent millions in donations to other campaigns, political consultants and contributions to other Republican Party committees. That changing of hands typically muddies the water on who's giving what to whom.

Barfield said he thinks it's wrong that such tactics are allowed and are used by both major parties because funds are often used to influence elections with misleading political advertisements from political committees with names meant to hide their intentions.

“I have never seen a PAC without a name that isn’t meant to get a voter to think, 'Oh, that’s a great name.' Why do they do that? To confuse voters,” he said. “The people that are behind the money, they certainly know that it is used in a deceptive manner. But the voter does not.”

The problem? It's all legal. 

“People need to wake up and realize that they're being played by big money and corporations," he added. "Regardless of which party is in power, the result is going to be the same. The people's interests aren't going to be protected in Tallahassee."

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Here is the full list of state candidates City & State identified as receiving money from the five political committees:

Shane Abbott

Adam Anderson

Ben Albritton

Bryan Avila

Webster Barnaby

Mike Beltran

Kim Berfield

Lori Berman

Jason Brodeur

James Buchanan

Danny Burgess

Colleen Burton

Demi Busatta Cabrera

Daryl Campbell

Jennifer Canady

Linda Chaney

Chuck Clemons

Jay Collins

Dan Daley

Ron DeSantis

Nick DiCeglie

Fentrice Driskell

Wyman Duggan

Jervonte Edmonds

Juan Fernandez-Barquin

Randy Fine

Jason Fischer

George Gainer

Ileana Garcia

Sam Garrison

Mike Giallombardo

Michael Gottileb

Tommy Gregory

Joe Harding

Gayle Harrell

Audrey Henson

Jeff Holcomb

Ed Hooper

Blaise Ingoglia

Shevrin Jones

Dotie Joseph

Thomas Leek

Randy Maggard

Jonathan Martin

Debbie Mayfield

Lawrence McClure

Fiona McFarland

Lauren Melo

Ashley Moody

Jim Mooney Jr.

Kathleen Passidomo

Daniel Perez

Warren Keith Perry

Jenna Persons

Jason Pizzo

Spencer Roach

Ray Rodrigues

Michelle Salzman

Jason Shoaf

Matthew Silbernage

Corey Simon

Wilton Simpson

Emily Slosberg

David Smith

John Snyder

Jackie Toledo

Josie Tomkow

Dana Trabulsy

Chase Tramont

Keith Truenow

Jennifer Wilson

Clay Yarborough

Brad Yeager