A high Republican strategist for a PAC supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential marketing campaign introduced he’s resigning from the group simply weeks earlier than the Iowa caucus.
“I am resigning my position effective immediately,” veteran GOP strategist Jeff Roe mentioned in a press release posted to X late Saturday. “Governor DeSantis has been an exceptional governor and I hope he will be the 47th President of the United States. I wish the Governor, First Lady, and their entire team the best through the rest of the campaign.”
Roe’s departure comes amid a string of exits from Never Back Down, the primary PAC supporting the Florida governor’s White House bid, coming simply two weeks after the group fired three high officers, together with its chief govt officer. According to reporting from Politico, the PAC’s board chairman and likewise its president left the group across the identical time.
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Republican presidential candidate, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)
The turmoil on the PAC was the topic of a Washington Post report Saturday, which detailed the sudden rash of exits and infighting that has plagued the group because the Iowa caucus shortly approaches.
Included within the report was a press release from Never Back Down chairman Scott Wagner, who blamed the latest firings on “mismanagement and conduct issues, including numerous unauthorized leaks containing false information.”
“Senior officials were terminated,” Wagner informed the Washington Post. “We don’t have time to indulge false narratives from those with ulterior motives.”
But a lawyer for the fired workers accused Wagner of constructing a “categorically false” assertion, resulting in a revised assertion with a unique tone.
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File)
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“Following some opinions regarding mismanagement and conduct issues, including some who believed there appeared to be numerous unauthorized leaks containing false information, NBD and some senior officials parted ways,” Wagner informed the Washington Post.
“I cannot in good conscience stay affiliated with Never Back Down given the statements in the Washington Post today,” Roe mentioned in his assertion. “They are not true and an unwanted distraction at a critical time for Governor DeSantis.”
DeSantis entered the race with a $269 million warfare chest, in line with the report, with $82.5 million coming by Never Back Down in an unprecedented new marketing campaign technique. The PAC has largely been chargeable for funding many of the Florida governer’s promoting and subject operations, whereas additionally paying for a lot of the candidate’s marketing campaign journey.
According to the Washington Post report, Roe’s departure won’t go away the PAC with out skilled marketing campaign veterans, with longtime DeSantis ally Phil Cox stepping right into a senior adviser function whereas others are elevated to heightened roles.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at veteran charity occasion. (Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Roe expressed that he’s “proud of the team” that was constructed at Never Back Down and the “incredible work and integrity of every devoted professional within the organization.”
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“This is a team of political warriors and their grind and dedication over the last nine months has helped put Governor Ron DeSantis in a strong position,” Roe mentioned.
The DeSantis marketing campaign and Never Back Down didn’t instantly reply to a Fox News Digital request for remark.
