Governor Ron DeSantis has seen his Republican presidential campaign flat, and he refuses to confirm or deny being flown to campaign events by a wealthy supporter.
This week, Ron DeSantis flew to New Hampshire for a campaign swing that coincided almost exactly with the path of a private jet connected to a wealthy supporter.
Daniel Doyle, Jr., who runs a print shop in Central Florida, owns a plane whose flight path matches DeSantis’ July 4 trip to the Granite State, according to public records. Neither DeSantis’ presidential campaign nor representatives for Doyle would say whether DeSantis was on board.
It’s a recurring pattern with DeSantis and the organizations that help him keep quiet about who funds his travels and his frequent use of private charter jets.
The campaign finance law is clear. Any trip DeSantis accepts must be disclosed and the campaign must reimburse the aircraft owner for the cost of the fight. It doesn’t matter what laws the state of Florida has passed to hide who pays for Ron DeSantis’ trip. Governor DeSantis is a federal election candidate subject to federal campaign finance laws.
The situation should be very straight forward. DeSantis would have to pay for his trip. When he and his campaign allow wealthy donors to fly him around and they don’t report and reimburse the flights, DeSantis is breaking the law.
The DeSantis campaign has stalled. The chatter in Republican circles is growing and the perception is growing that Ron DeSantis is not the candidate to beat Trump.
The last thing DeSantis needs is a travel scandal, but that’s what creates his campaign’s lack of transparency.