Rick Scott campaign and Super PAC shared same address and fundraiser; Super PAC paid to update its own website to support Scott and conduct polling on campaign’s behalf
After new and previously unreported evidence surfaced that Rick Scott illegally coordinated with the Super PAC, New Republican, End Citizens United, a campaign finance reform group, filed an updated FEC complaint against Rick Scott.
The supplemental complaint documents Scott’s coordination with the Super PAC, showing that both the Scott campaign and New Republican shared the same address, the Super PAC paid to update its website to support Scott in advance of his Senate announcement, and the Super PAC conducted polling on Scott’s behalf. The Super PAC and the Scott campaign also shared the same fundraiser. The new evidence in the supplemental complaint further strengthens the original complaint, which demonstrates that Scott used New Republican to skirt campaign finance laws by raising soft money and fundraising beyond federal contribution limits.
“As if there wasn’t already enough evidence that Rick Scott has been breaking election law, a wave of new examples have surfaced in the past several days. The amount of shady political tricks Scott will employ to advance his own political agenda is striking – and a larger symbol for his tenure as governor,” said Adam Bozzi, communications director for End Citizens United. “In light of this new information, the FEC should investigate Scott immediately. Florida deserves better.”
Evidence in the supplemental complaint demonstrating coordination between Scott and his Super PAC includes:
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Documentation that the Rick Scott for Senate campaign used the same mailing address that New Republican gave to the FEC on its February statement of organization, highlighting the interchangeable relationship between the two entities. The campaign and Super PAC also shared the same fundraiser.
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A poll paid for and released by New Republican in late March, conducted between March 10-13, 2018, when Scott was still involved in the PAC.
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Reports that Scott continued to regularly meet with and fundraise for New Republican Super PAC through March.
End Citizens United’s original complaint detailed Scott’s run around election law. Scott hired multiple former campaign staffers and consultants including his long-time fundraiser Deborah Aleksander and his former chief of staff and 2014 campaign manager Melissa Stone to New Republican. In fundraising for New Republican, Scott traveled across the country to California, as well as reached out to his previous campaign donors who had not typically given to federal committees. New Republican’s biggest donors included wealthy individuals and corporations that had “fared well” in recent Florida state legislative sessions.
Click here to read the new supplemental complaint.
Click here to read the original complaint.
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