Ron DeSantis Receives Seven Figure Check as Gov. Soft Launches Pres. Campaign

As Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis intensifies his preparation for a White House bid, several of the wealthiest and most prolific Republican donors are already giving him a major financial boost.

Trader and investor Jeffrey Yass donated $2.5 million to DeSantis’ state political committee on February 7, according to online records maintained by the organization, Friends of Ron DeSantis. And Jude and Christopher Reyes, the billionaire brothers behind one of the country’s largest beer and food distributors, each gave DeSantis’ committee $1 million last week as well.

The seven-figure checks arrived ahead of what has amounted to a late-February soft launch of DeSantis’ highly anticipated run for president. On Monday, DeSantis held campaign-style rallies with police officers in New York, Philadelphia and Chicago, where he regaled the crowds with stories of the culture wars. Ahead of a potential GOP primary clash with Donald Trump, DeSantis will next host a three-day retreat for donors this weekend in Trump’s neighborhood. And his memoir, “The Courage to Be Free,” drops next Tuesday, with plans for a national book tour and events scheduled with GOP activists in Texas, California and Alabama.

This cascade of activity is the clearest sign yet that DeSantis intends to jump into the Republican primary, though he’s in no rush to do so. Even as Trump channels his energy at derailing DeSantis, the Florida governor is sticking to plans to wait on a formal announcement until May or June, after state lawmakers hold their annual legislative session, according to sources close to the governor. DeSantis seemed to confirm the timeline during a Monday appearance on Fox & Friends.

“We’re going to sell some books. We’re going to spread the message of Florida. And then on March 8, I have our legislative session that’s kicking off,” DeSantis said. “As we get beyond that, then we decide from there.”

“Wouldn’t you guys like to have that announcement on ‘Fox & Friends’?” he later teased.

The continued financial support from wealthy donors – achieved without actually declaring himself a candidate – explains, in part, why DeSantis is content to remain on the sidelines. In addition to the $4.5 million from Yass and the Reyes brothers, DeSantis’ political committee has more than $71 million left over from last year’s reelection effort, when he shattered fundraising records en route to a lopsided 19-point victory in the Sunshine State. CNN reached out to Yass and the Reyes brothers through their respective businesses to inquire about their donations to DeSantis’ political committee, but they did not respond.

DeSantis’ cash on hand would put him on nearly equal footing with Trump, who had more than $81 million stockpiled across five committees when campaign finance figures were last reported in January, and far ahead of any other competitor trying to usurp the former president for the party’s 2024 GOP nomination. It remains to be seen how DeSantis’ political operation will move his reserve cash, which is parked in a state political committee, into a federal super PAC that could support his presidential campaign without violating campaign finance laws. A source close to DeSantis’ political team confirmed a recent report from Puck that Phil Cox, a veteran GOP operative and a top adviser to DeSantis’ 2020 campaign, is in the process of recruiting a team to helm that effort. Cox previously ran the super PAC tied to former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s 2016 presidential campaign.

A spokesman for DeSantis’ political operation declined to comment on plans for the money left over from the 2022 election. Friends of Ron DeSantis received about $670,000 in contributions in December and January, according to state records.

Sourced from CNN