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Let’s talk about why President Biden is spending three days in Pennsylvania this week — a lot of time by campaign standards. By now, you probably know that just a few swing states are pivotal to winning the White House in November. For Mr. Biden, the Keystone State is the most crucial. This fight is also personal: Mr. Biden is a native son of Pennsylvania who spent part of his childhood there, identifies with its working-class, regular-folk vibe and gets intuitively how the state is a microcosm for America. The goodish news for Mr. Biden is that he appears to be running neck-and-neck here with Mr. Trump, according to polling and campaign insiders, unlike in some other swing states where he is struggling a bit more.

Persons: Biden, It’s, Donald Trump, Scranton, Trump, “, ”, Representative Mary Gay Scanlon, Biden’s Organizations: White House, Keystone State, Democrats, Representative Locations: Pennsylvania, America, Philadelphia

Trump campaign officials are finalizing a takeover of the Republican National Committee this week and looking to expand their field operation. Biden and Trump will each hold events in Georgia on Saturday, a week after they did simultaneous U.S.-Mexico border trips in Texas. The Biden campaign and the Democratic National Committee have vastly outraised Republicans so far. The Biden campaign reported $56 million on hand at the end of January, according to federal disclosures, while Trump’s campaign reported a balance of $30.5 million. Asked what he thinks about the prospects of flipping New York to Trump, LaCivita laughed and said, “I do what the boss says.

Persons: — Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden's, Trump, Biden, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Biden blistered Trump, ”, ” Trump, skewering Biden, it’s, “ We’re, Hillary Clinton, Dan Kanninen, ” Kanninen, Barack Obama, Sean McEnerney, Kanninen, “, ’, Chris LaCivita, we’ll, ” LaCivita, LaCivita, Lara Trump, Michael Whatley, That's, LaCivita's, buildout, ___ Weissert, Jill Colvin Organizations: ATLANTA, Trump, Biden, Republican National Committee, Republican, firebrand, Democratic, Republican National, Democratic National Committee, Republicans, RNC, Florida, Democrats, North, DNC, New, Associated Press Locations: Georgia, Mexico, Texas, Atlanta, U.S, Ukraine, Israel, Arizona , Florida, Michigan, Nevada , North Carolina , Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Florida, North Carolina, Nevada, Arizona, Spanish, Maryvale, Phoenix, Virginia, Houston, Jacksonville , Florida, York , California, New York , California, Montana, New York, Trump, Washington, Palm Beach , Florida

☆ Donald Trump to win South Carolina Republican primary, CNN projects
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Gregory Krieg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Former President Donald Trump will win South Carolina’s Republican presidential primary, CNN projects, further tightening his grip on the nomination and leaving his last remaining major rival, Nikki Haley, to consider her dwindling options. But his romp in South Carolina, which twice elected Haley its governor, might be his most impressive of this campaign. He has emerged, since dropping out of the primary and endorsing Trump, as one of the former president’s favorite surrogates and a potential running mate. “South Carolina is Trump country,” Scott declared to the delighted crowd. We have over 12 events planned in those Super Tuesday states, and we’re going to keep fighting.”This story has been updated with additional developments.

Persons: Donald Trump, Nikki Haley, Haley didn’t, Haley, ” Trump, Henry McMaster, Sen, Tim Scott, Trump, “, Lindsey Graham, Scott, ” Scott, “ I’m, Joe Biden, Betsy Ankney, ” Ankney Organizations: CNN, South Carolina’s Republican, GOP, Palmetto State, Gov, Republican Party, South Carolina, Trump, Palmetto, Democratic Locations: Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, Virgin, South Carolina, Columbia, “ South Carolina, Trump, Michigan, Super

And the DeSantis campaign made many of them, his advisers, allies and supporters have acknowledged to CNN in interviews. Republican presidential candidate and Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, speaks during a campaign event in Hampton, New Hampshire, on January 17, 2024. Michael Reaves/Getty Images DeSantis and his wife, Casey, have three children: from left, daughters Mamie and Madison and son Mason. But that approach was rejected by the woman who would be announced as DeSantis’ campaign manager, Generra Peck. And yet, in the face of this overwhelming rejection of his pitch to Make America Florida, DeSantis refused to change gears.

Persons: Ron DeSantis steeled, Donald Trump, DeSantis, Trump, “, Nikki Haley, Trump hadn’t, ” DeSantis, Elon Musk, ”, Curt Anderson, Alex Castellanos, Ron DeSantis, Joseph Prezioso, It’s, Casey, God, Rupert Murdoch’s, Will Lanzoni, Jane, Zuma Press DeSantis, Dunedin High School DeSantis, US Navy DeSantis, John Boehner, Charles Dharapak, Bill Clark, Tom Williams, Trey Gowdy, Al Drago, Zack Wittman, Patrick Farrell, Andrew Gillum, Chris O'Meara, Jeff J Mitchell, Stephen M, Dowell, Chris Kleponis, Lynne Sladky, Steve Cannon, Fernando Medina, Deborah Birx, Doug Mills, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Saul Loeb, Madison, Tori Lynn Schneider, Vera Leip, Joe Raedle, Michael Reaves, Mamie, Mason, WFTS DeSantis, Joe Biden, Hurricane Ian, Charlie Crist, Marco Bello, Reuters DeSantis, Sophie Park, Jordan Gale, –, Stormy Daniels, Jeff Roe, Ken Cuccinelli, Roe, scrappy, Ken Griffin, bankroll DeSantis, Griffin, Dana Bash, Generra Peck, Musk, ” Donors, Peck, Christina Pushaw, Bryan Griffin, Hugh Hewitt, Scott Olson, Ryan Tyson, Zuckerbucks, Kim Reynolds, Reynolds, Iowa –, Anna Moneymaker Organizations: CNN, Trump, New, GOP, Former South Carolina Gov, Christian Broadcasting Network, Elon, Republican, “ JV, ”, Politico, Florida Governor, Getty, Republican Party, New York Post, Disney, Florida Gov, Little League Baseball, Petersburg Times, Zuma Press, Dunedin High School, Yale University, US Navy, Navy, General's Corps, District, DeSantis, First, Bloomberg, Miami Herald, Tribune, Service, Democratic, Orlando Sentinel, White, Orlando Magic, NBA, Coronavirus, New York Times, Tallahassee Democrat, USA, Conservative Political, Conference, University of South, Reuters, Iowa State University football, PAC, “, Fox News, Florida, Central Bank Digital Currency, Iowa, Gov, “ Iowa Republican, Republicans Locations: Iowa, Florida, New Hampshire, Hawkeye, Hampton , New Hampshire, AFP, Wally's, Jacksonville , Florida, Dunedin , Florida, Windsor, V, St, Florida's, Tampa , Florida, Orlando, Jacksonville, Sanford , Florida, Tallahassee , Florida, Tallahassee, Pompano Beach , Florida, Miami, Surfside , Florida, University of South Florida, Covid, Tampa, Bedford, Bedford , New Hampshire, Ames , Iowa, New York, Dunedin, Newton , Iowa, Park City , Utah, Tennessee, South Carolina, Trump, Des Moines, West Des Moines , Iowa, Myrtle Beach, “ Iowa, America Florida

☆ New Hampshire primary: What to expect from Trump, Haley and DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Polls indicate New Hampshire offers Haley her best chance for a win, while DeSantis, polling a distant third, is already looking ahead to South Carolina. While Tuesday's primary result is expected to be narrower, the latest polls of likely New Hampshire GOP primary voters show Trump leading Haley by double digits. They have been joined in recent days by a growing number of Trump's one time Republican primary rivals — Nebraska Gov. In New Hampshire, Haley is right: She and Trump are the top two candidates by far in the polls, with DeSantis a distant third. Days away from the New Hampshire primary, DeSantis' campaign is already shifting resources to South Carolina, while still holding some events in New Hampshire.

Persons: Timothy A, Clary, Donald Trump, Trump, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Haley, Chris Galdieri, State David M, Scanlan, Biden, —, Elise Stefanik, Sen, Ted Cruz, Sean Hannity, Doug Burgum, Vivek Ramaswamy, Tim Scott of, Faith Ninivaggi, Reuters Haley, Galdieri, Haley's, Chris Sununu, Scala, Matt McClain, DeSantis, Joe Biden, Nathan Howard Organizations: Getty, New, New Hampshire voters, Republican, Granite State, Florida Gov, United, New Hampshire, West Wing, Saint Anselm College, State, Democratic, Trump, GOP, New Hampshire GOP, Republicans, New York, Fox News, — Nebraska Gov, Tim Scott of South Carolina —, U.S, Omni, Washington Hotel, Resort, Reuters, The, New Hampshire Gov, CNBC, Florida, LaBelle, Washington Post, DeSantis, NBC News, Biden, Community Center Locations: Concord , New Hampshire, New Hampshire, Iowa, United Nations, South Carolina, Portsmouth , New Hampshire, Monday's Iowa, Granite State, New, Texas, Tim Scott of South Carolina, Bretton Woods , New Hampshire, U.S, Florida, The Granite, Granite, Palmetto, Derry, NH, Raleigh , North Carolina

☆ Iowa Republican caucus sets new record for state political ad buys: $120 million
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The battle to win the Republican Iowa caucus is the most expensive on record, with over $120 million spent on ads by the campaigns and their affiliated political action committees in the Hawkeye State, according to data provided to CNBC by AdImpact. Around $84 million of the $120 million total ad buys came from campaigns and allies of the top three candidates, Trump, Haley and Florida. DeSantis' campaign and two outside allies have spent a combined $30 million on TV, digital, and radio ads in Iowa. One of the two DeSantis super PACs, Never Back Down, has knocked on over 915,000 doors in the Iowa, according to the organization. As for Trump's super PAC, MAGA Inc. would not provide data on what efforts they've made outside of their ad spending in support of the former president.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Trump's, Nikki Haley, Trump, Haley, Ron DeSantis, Michael Franz, DeSantis, Charles Koch, Bill Riggs, Riggs, they've, We'll, backslapping, Taylor Budowich Organizations: Republican, CNBC, AdImpact, GOP, Monday's, South Carolina Gov, Gov, Inc, Wesleyan Media, Prosperity, Iowa Caucus, Hawkeye State, AFP, Iowa, Trump's, MAGA Locations: Des Moines , Iowa, Republican Iowa, Hawkeye, Iowa, Florida, New Hampshire, South Carolina

☆ A local politician lost his election by one vote after he decided not to vote for himself
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A local council candidate in Washington State decided not to cast a ballot. AdvertisementA Washington State political candidate decided not to vote for himself, and then lost his election by a single vote, according to local officials. Damion Green ran for a council seat in the city of Rainier, located in Thurston County about 25 miles south of Tacoma. But voting for himself would have been like "stacking a deck in your favor," Green told local newspaper The Seattle Times. A coin toss ultimately decided the race, as local newspaper The Chronicle reported at the time.

Persons: —, Damion Green, Tacoma . Green, Ryan Roth, pipped, Green, Roth, King Organizations: Washington State, Service, Tacoma ., The Seattle Times, MSNBC Locations: Rainier, Thurston County, Tacoma, Tenino

Never Back Down, the super PAC supporting the Republican’s White House bid, abruptly let go three key senior staffers that evening, including an interim CEO who had just been installed nine days earlier. The sudden departures sent shockwaves throughout DeSantis’ political operation, from Tallahassee to Des Moines. One of the dismissed operatives had appeared that day at a super PAC event in Sioux City, Iowa, that featured DeSantis. “They’re a laughingstock.”Jess Szymanski, a spokeswoman for the super PAC, dismissed the outside criticism. After months of watching ads and receiving mailers from the super PAC, voters seemed unaware – and unfazed – by the duplication.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Donald Trump, ” DeSantis, “ It’s, DeSantis –, –, David Polyansky, ” Polyansky, Kristin Davison, Adam Laxalt, caucusgoers, ”, canvasser, “, ” Jess Szymanski, Loren Reit, Reit, “ We’ve, NBD Organizations: Iowa CNN, Florida Gov, PAC, CNN, Republican, Iowa, Outsiders, Trump, GOP, Washington Post, Gov, Cody, “, Iowa - Locations: Newton, Iowa, Tallahassee, Des Moines, Sioux City , Iowa, Florida, DeSantis, Nevada, United States, Eldridge, Clive, Spencer, Iowa - South Dakota, “

☆ DeSantis took previously undisclosed private flights as governor, and may have only had to pay the price of a coach ticket thanks to ethics rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ron DeSantis reportedly took multiple trips on private jets that were not previously disclosed. According to The Washington Post, one of DeSantis' trips involved a jaunt to Augusta National Golf Club. "DeSantis took at least six undisclosed trips on private jets and accepted lodging and dining in late 2018," according to The Post. According to The Post, DeSantis' trip was on a plane owned by Mori Hosseini, a home builder. The law covers past travel records, making the type of reporting The Post and The Orlando Sentinel have done more difficult.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Mori Hosseini, it's, Andrew Romeo, Romeo Organizations: The Washington Post, Augusta National Golf, Service, Washington Post, Augusta National Golf Club, The, GOP, The Orlando Sentinel, Post Locations: Wall, Silicon, Florida

Director of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Sergei Naryshkin delivers a speech during a ceremony unveiling the monument to founder of the Soviet secret police Felix Dzerzhinsky at the service's headquarters in Moscow, Russia, September 11, 2023. Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Sept 11 (Reuters) - A bronze statue of "Iron Felix" Dzerzhinsky, the ruthless founder of the Soviet secret police and architect of the Red Terror which followed the 1917 revolution, was unveiled on Monday at the headquarters of Russia's foreign spy service. Sergei Naryshkin, the chief of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), successor to the KGB's famed First Chief Directorate, marked the unveiling of the statue outside its Yasenevo headquarters in southern Moscow. Dzerzhinsky towered above Naryshkin, Putin's 68-year-old spy master, who stood with a group of other men - many of them unknown. The statue at the SVR looks remarkably similar to the one that once stood on Lubyanka Square.

Persons: Sergei Naryshkin, Felix Dzerzhinsky, Felix, Dzerzhinsky, Josef Stalin, Vladimir Putin's, Naryshkin, Nikita Petrov, Vladimir Lenin's, Lenin's, Putin, Guy Faulconbridge, Gareth Jones, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Foreign Intelligence Service, Russian Federation, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, Reuters, Russian, Commission, Cheka, State Political Directorate, State Political, NKVD, Internal Affairs, KGB, Federal Security Service, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Vladimir Putin's Russia, Poland, Soviet Union, Dzerzhinsky, Soviet

Opinion The Key Players in Trump’s Plot to Upend the Election, MappedMs. Cottle is a member of the editorial board. Upending the outcome of a free and fair presidential election is no minor endeavor. It requires time, energy, money and, especially, an awful lot of people willing to do the wrong thing — or at least go along with it. What’s past is prologue with Mr. Trump. The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor.

Persons: Cottle, Eisen, Maggiacomo, Donald Trump, Trump, autocrat Organizations: Brookings Institution, Republican

CNN —In an urgent appeal to wealthy Republicans who had assembled in Milwaukee ahead of the first GOP presidential primary debate, top brass for the super PAC backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told donors they needed an injection of $50 million over the next four months, according to leaked audio obtained by CNN. The tension spilled into the open just days before the Milwaukee event, when the super PAC released a memo with debate pointers for DeSantis. The pitch appeared structured to convince donors the super PAC had a plan for their dollars if they would open up their pocketbooks. Many Republican strategists and campaign veterans have questioned the arrangement between DeSantis’ campaign and the super PAC, pointing to the limitations of running a political operation from the outside.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, “, ”, Chris Jankowski, DeSantis, I’m, Jankowski, Kristin Davison, Jeff Roe, Trump, Casey DeSantis, ” Roe, –, Roy Bailey, Davison, ’, Robert Bigelow, Roe, Donald Trump, “ Donald Trump, ” Davison, we’re, Puerto, “ Trump, ” —, —, Casey, ” Jankowski, We’ve Organizations: CNN, PAC, Florida Gov, DeSantis, Dallas, Trump, Reuters, Labor, GOP, White, US House, Puerto Rico’s, Super, ”, ” Navy, JAG, Republican, Federal, Commission, Campaign Locations: Milwaukee, Iowa, Florida, DeSantis, Nevada, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, Georgia

Humble beginningsPutin and Prigozhin share relatively humble beginnings, and the Wagner chief grew up in the tougher neighborhoods of St. Petersburg, which is also the president’s hometown. Prigozhin founded Wagner that year as a mercenary outfit that fought both in Ukraine and, increasingly, for Russian-backed causes around the world. In recent months, Prigozhin has created a dilemma for Putin by becoming an outspoken critic of Russia’s military leaders. The Wagner mutiny began when Prigozhin unleashed a fresh tirade against the Russian military and then marched his troops into the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don. Prigozhin responded on Telegram saying that Putin was “deeply mistaken.”“We are patriots of our Motherland, we fought and are fighting,” the Wagner chief said.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, Putin, ”, Humble, George Bush, Jacques Chirac of France, ” Prigozhin, Defense Yunus, Bek Yevkurov, Wagner –, –, Mark Hertling, Misha Japaridze, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, “, Don Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Russian, Moscow Times, Defense, Reuters CNN, Central African, Internet Research Agency, US Treasury Department, United, Russian Defense Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Russian, Belarus, St . Petersburg, Africa, Central African Republic, Sudan, Libya, Mozambique, Mali, Syria, Soledar, Prigozhin's, Russia, Bakhmut, Rostov

His travel extended well outside of traditional hot spots for a primary campaign, including events in Wisconsin and Oklahoma. Now, DeSantis’ political operation says it is embracing his position as an underdog. But that leaves questions about one of the largest expenses on DeSantis’ first quarter fundraising reports: private travel. DeSantis’ campaign has paid nearly half a million dollars in travel expenses to a company that didn’t exist until two days before he launched his White House bid. In guidance to some donors and supporters, the campaign foreshadowed that they expect these interactions to show DeSantis’ “fiery” side.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Donald Trump, ’, Generra Peck, pollster Ryan Tyson, Sam Cooper, Ethan Eilon, Nick Iarossi, ”, ” Iarossi, Peck, “, Adam Putnam, Trump, it’s, ” Iarossi siad, Elon, N2024D, Scott Wagner, Andrew Romeo, Bud Light, Dylan Mulvaney, Fox, Laura Ingraham, Don’t, ” Ingraham, Bud, “ They’re Organizations: CNN, Florida Gov, White, Trump, ”, N2024D, Tesla, New York Times, Republican, Fox, Disney, State Board of Education Locations: Florida, Utah, Park City, Tallahassee, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Georgia, jetset, Miami, South Carolina

☆ What reset? DeSantis defiant while campaign braces for reality of his struggles
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Steve Contorno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

DeSantis’ remarks Monday in Tega Cay, South Carolina, were a near carbon copy of the speech he has delivered at campaign stops for weeks. Over the weekend, a spokesperson for DeSantis’ campaign confirmed to CNN it let go of some staffers, after Politico reported that “fewer than 10 staffers” in event planning were cut on Thursday. Over six weeks, DeSantis had spent $686,000 on travel including expenses for private jets, according to campaign finance records, and his payroll topped $1 million. “In the second quarter, we were a candidate for about five and a half weeks, our campaign raised $20.1 million dollars. Lu Aiken, a member of Republican Women Rising in South Carolina, said she was undecided but DeSantis was at the top of her list.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Joe Biden, ” DeSantis, ’, CNN’s Jake Tapper, –, Donald Trump’s, DeSantis, Trump, we’ll, I’ll, Tapper, “, ”, Kim Reynolds, “ We’re, Donald Trump, Rupert Murdoch’s, Lu Aiken, we’ve, Ron, ” Jonathan Sievers Organizations: CNN, Florida Gov, Politico, GOP, Trump, Iowa Republican Gov, Republican, Fox News, Disney, ” Republican, Republican Women Rising Locations: South Carolina, Delaware, Tega Cay, kickstart, Carolina, Iowa, Florida, Utah, Park City , Utah, “, United States, DeSantis, Trump, Weddington , South Carolina

☆ DeSantis campaign urges patience for breakout moment with eye toward first debate
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Steve Contorno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Facing a long summer of running from behind former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is for now resisting calls to dramatically change course in his presidential campaign, instead targeting the first debate in late August as his opportunity to alter the trajectory of the race. DeSantis’ campaign has already surpassed the donor threshold requirement of 40,000 unique donors and appears on track to meet the polling threshold as well. DeSantis’ political team expects his activity in the coming weeks may look subdued compared to other candidates who may need an attention-grabbing moment to attract donors and support to meet the debate requirements. “People want to support Ron but don’t like this kind of stupid stuff,” the fundraiser told CNN.

Persons: Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, doesn’t, Trump, it’s, DeSantis, “, Fox’s Maria Bartiromo, Privately, Chris Christie, “ That’s, ”, Erick Erickson, Erickson, Steve Cortes, I’ll, ” Cortes, ” DeSantis, Phillip Huffines, Biden, ” Huffines, he’s, ” Erickson, Jeff Angelo, ” Angelo, Casey, DeSantis ”, Joe Biden, Caitlyn Jenner, Tomi Lahren, Ron Organizations: CNN, Florida Gov, GOP, Trump, New, New Jersey Gov, Summit, PAC, Republicans, Biden, Republican, Twitter, Miss, “ Locations: Florida, South Florida, New Jersey, Iowa, Trump . Iowa, New Hampshire, Texas, Dallas, Ohio, Wisconsin

☆ Russian 'troll factory' accused of interfering in US elections shuts down after exile of Wagner boss
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Russia's "troll factory," accused of interfering in US elections, has been shut down. The factory was created by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the now-exiled leader of the Wagner mercenary group. The Moscow Times reported last week that — with Prigozhin gone — the Internet Research Agency was looking for new management. "I was never just a financier of the Internet Research Agency," he said. Nevskiye Novosti, a Patriot Media Group newspaper located in St. Petersburg, announced it shut down on Friday.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, —, Prigozhin, Yevgeny Zubarev —, Patriot Media Group —, Aleksandr Beglov, Andrei Krasnobayev, Vladimir Putin, Putin Organizations: Service, Internet Research Agency, Moscow Times, Reuters, US Treasury Department, RIA, Patriot Media Group, Kremlin, Petersburg Gov, Radio Free, Novosti, Putin, Catering, Concord Catering, Time Locations: Russia, Moscow, Belarus, United States, St, Petersburg, Nevskiye Novosti, St . Petersburg, Russian, Concord, Prague

☆ DeSantis accused of violating campaign finance laws by watchdog group
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

DeSantis and his state PAC are being accused of violating campaign finance laws in a new FEC complaint. The group cites reports that they directed or transfered more than $80 million to a super PAC. Ron DeSantis and his state political action committee allegedly violated federal campaign finance laws by directing or transferring more than $80 million to a federal super PAC, Never Back Down, the nonpartisan watchdog group Campaign Legal Center says in a new complaint. "Soft money undermines federal campaign finance laws because it is, by definition, money raised and spent outside the scope of those laws," Saurav Ghosh, the Center's director of federal campaign finance reform, said in a statement. Never Back Down is a federal super PAC that raises unlimited funds to make independent expenditures.

Persons: DeSantis, —, Ron DeSantis, Saurav Ghosh, Ron DeSantis — Organizations: PAC, Service, Gov, federal, Federal, DeSantis Locations: Florida

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at a press conference at the American Police Hall of Fame & Museum in Titusville. The group has raised more than $225 million for DeSantis and currently boasts nearly $86 million in cash on hand. Friends of Ron DeSantis could soon try to transfer a moneybag roughly 800 times the size of Donalds'. The state committee, Friends of Ron DeSantis, appears to be positioning itself for the transfer. Friends of Ron DeSantis is allowed to accept unlimited contributions from donors, and it shows.

☆ Mississippi agency denies NAACP’s water discrimination claim
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

A Mississippi environmental regulator has denied claims that the state agency he leads discriminated against the capital city of Jackson in its distribution of federal funds for wastewater treatment. Most of Jackson lost running water for several days, and people had to wait in lines for water to drink, cook, bathe and flush toilets. The EPA announced on Oct. 20 that it was investigating whether Mississippi state agencies discriminated against the state’s majority-Black capital city by refusing to fund improvements to the water system. EPA Administrator Michael Regan has visited Jackson multiple times and has said “longstanding discrimination” has contributed to the decline of the city’s water system. The federal agency could withhold money from Mississippi if it finds wrongdoing — potentially millions of dollars.

☆ DeSantis' second inauguration as governor will have a 'Free State of Florida' theme, an intimate candlelight dinner, and a toast to moms supporting the GOP governor
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The overarching theme is "The Free State of Florida," the Florida Standard first reported. "The Free State of Florida" is a motto mirroring DeSantis' 2022 campaign theme. Officials stand on stage during an inauguration ceremony where Ron DeSantis was sworn in as Florida Governor, Tuesday, January 8, 2019, in Tallahassee, Florida. This inauguration, DeSantis is considering turning down donations from Big Tech companies, The New York Times reported. "I support Governor DeSantis and am honored to have been invited to his inauguration," GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida told Insider.

Meanwhile, abortion-rights advocates and the ballot initiative groups they’re working with said preliminary efforts are also underway in Florida, Missouri and other states. Meanwhile, voters in two Democratic states, California and Vermont, chose to officially protect abortion rights in their constitutions. “Reproductive rights is a winning issue. The Dobbs decision had a huge impact,” said Chris Melody Fields Figueredo, the executive director of the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, which works with progressive organizations to help advance citizen-led ballot measures. “And what we know — that about a majority of Americans actually support reproductive rights and abortion access — means we have an incredible opportunity.”

President Donald Trump is boxing his own shadow as he seeks the Republican presidential nomination — and that’s not likely to change anytime soon. Dan Eberhart, a Republican fundraiser who once backed Trump but now wants DeSantis to be the party’s nominee in 2024, said there's time. In the world of GOP elites, the field is quickly narrowing to Trump and DeSantis, and the Florida Republican source said there is something unique about their rivalry. “The fact is Ron is different from any other Republican who might run against Trump,” the Republican said. But more than that, he said, Republican voters are exhausted.

☆ Gov. Ron DeSantis cruises to re-election, solidifying GOP hold on Florida politics
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Marc Caputo | Marc Caputo Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +11 min

Ron DeSantis speaks during the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit in Tampa, Fla. on July 22, 2022. One survey in the nation’s first primary state, New Hampshire, showed the two statistically tied in a primary, but another survey show Trump with a lead. Some Florida polls have also shown DeSantis leading Trump in a one-on-one primary. The poll also showed DeSantis might win a majority of Hispanic voters in Florida, which no Republican governor has done in 20 years. “In that event, Ron has a different set of issues he has to contend with if he wants to run against Trump.”

☆ NAACP says Jackson’s water problems are civil rights issue
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Brad Vest / Getty Images fileThe U.S. Justice Department is working to improve Jackson’s water system. There were warnings the Jackson water system was struggling before it failed. Tate Reeves, a Republican, has blamed Jackson’s water problems on mismanagement by city leaders. Reeves declared an emergency for the water system in late August and brought in out-of-state crews to help make repairs. Before the city’s latest water crisis, though, Reeves expressed his own opposition to state funding for Jackson water improvements, saying he wants to hold down Mississippi’s overall debt level.

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