DeSantis hauls in $300K in 14 days

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ political committee reeled in $300,000 during the first half of July, nearly half of which came from a wealthy investor, according to the latest numbers reported on the committee’s website.

Palm Beach billionaire Paul Tudor Jones, a co-founder of the Everglades Foundation, contributed $125,000 to the Friends of Ron DeSantis committee on July 8. Nine other organizations and individuals contributed money to the Republican governor's political committee on the same day, signaling a possible fundraising event.

Other contributions dated July 8 include $25,000 from Johnathan Stanton, a St. Petersburg construction executive, and $10,000 from Keeping Florida Affordable, a political committee that this year received most of its money from Disney, financial service organizations and Tallahasee-based lobbying firm Southern Strategy Group.

Other contributions reported by DeSantis' political committee include $5,000 from Armor Correctional Health Services, a Miami-based company that provides medical, dental and mental health services to inmates; $25,000 from the Jacksonville Kennel Club; $2,500 from former U.S. Sen.

Alfonse D’Amato, who runs the New York City-based Park Strategies lobbying firm; and $500 from William Manger, the associate administrator for the Office of Capital Access at the U.S. Small Business Administration. According to the report on the political committee's website, it spent a total of $10,941, with the bulk of the expenditures going toward fundraising consulting.