WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis hasn't announced that he's running for president yet, but a political action committee affiliated with Donald Trump is on the attack, claiming Florida's governor is violating state ethics and election laws.
The 15-page complaint, made by Make America Great Again Inc., was filed Tuesday in Tallahassee with the state's commission on ethics.
Trump's political action committee claims that DeSantis has "solicited and received millions of dollars' worth of illegal gifts."
"Gov. Desantis is already a de facto candidate for President of the United States under federal election laws," the complaint said. "Desantis's failure to declare his candidacy is no mere oversight; it is a coordinated effort specifically designed for him to accept, as unethical gifts, illegal campaign contributions and certain personal benefits that are intended to influence his official decision to resign from office under Florida's resign to run law."
Read the full complaint below:
All of this comes as most political pundits anticipate the Florida governor will soon officially announce his plan to run for the Oval Office in 2024.
Since releasing his new book, DeSantis has been touring the country and engaging in speaking events in New York, Illinois and Iowa.
The complaint goes on to say that despite the millions of dollars in gifts that DeSantis has received, he has "improperly used state-funded resources to ensure that the gifts remain in the accounts of the organizations that support his presidential aspirations."
Allegations against the governor also include that he is breaching the public trust "to enrich himself" and organizations that support his presidency while skirting federal campaign finance laws.
It should be noted that the chair of the Florida Commission on Ethics, to which the complaint was filed, was appointed by DeSantis in 2019 and reappointed in 2021.
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Taryn Fenske, the communication director for DeSantis, issued the following statement Wednesday regarding the complaint:
"Adding this to the list of frivolous and politically motivated attacks. It's inappropriate to use state ethics complaints for partisan purposes."
In recent weeks, Trump has escalated his attacks on DeSantis. In a Monday speech in Iowa, the former president slammed the Florida governor for voting to cut subsidies for agricultural products, including ethanol.
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Trump also blasted DeSantis' record while in Congress, criticizing his positions on farm policy, Social Security and Medicare.
For the most part, DeSantis has ignored or deflected the attacks from Trump, saying last month: "It just goes with the territory. You gotta have a thick skin."