DeSantis’ PAC Accepted $20,000 From One America News Founder And CEO Robert Herring. According to the Daily Beast, “Far-right channel One America News (OAN)–currently in the midst of an existential crisis—may be cartoonishly loyal in its efforts to boost all things Donald Trump, but it appears as though the network’s founder and boss is playing footsie with the ex-president’s top potential 2024 primary rival. According to Florida election filings shared with Confider by the liberal American Bridge 21st Century PAC, OAN founder and CEO Robert Herring earlier this month cut a $20,000 check to Friends of Ron DeSantis PAC, the Florida governor’s state-level political action committee currently boosting his re-election campaign.” [Daily Beast, 9/19/22]
April 2022: DeSantis’ Campaign Accepted $5,000 From Boca Raton Republican Steven Alembik. According to the American Independent, “Steven Alembik, a Republican donor from Boca Raton, Florida, donated $5,000 to Ron DeSantis’ reelection campaign for governor last month, after DeSantis’ previous campaign for the position, in 2018, had said it would not take any more money from him over his offensive racist comments.” [American Independent, 5/13/22]
Alembik Was Discovered To Have Tweeted Out A Racial Slur Against Former President Obama. According to the American Independent, “Alembik had in previous years donated more than $20,000 to DeSantis, but had been disavowed by DeSantis’ first gubernatorial campaign in 2018 after he tweeted a racist slur against former President Barack Obama, writing out, ‘F–K THE MUSLIM N—-R.’” [American Independent, 5/13/22]
The DeSantis Campaign Disavowed Alembik After The Slurs Surfaced And Vowed Not To Take His Money Again. According to the American Independent, “Alembik had in previous years donated more than $20,000 to DeSantis, but had been disavowed by DeSantis’ first gubernatorial campaign in 2018 after he tweeted a racist slur against former President Barack Obama, writing out, ‘F–K THE MUSLIM N—-R.’ In response, DeSantis campaign spokesperson Stephen Lawson said in a statement, ‘We adamantly denounce this sort of disgusting rhetoric.’ Lawson said that the campaign would not accept any more money from Alembik.” [American Independent, 5/13/22]
DeSantis’ PAC Accepted $25,000 From Rebekah Mercer, One Of The Major Funders Of Trump’s 2016 Campaign. According to CNBC, “The Mercers, a father and daughter who were among Trump’s major benefactors during his first run for president in 2016, are distancing themselves from the ex-president’s third White House bid and cutting back their overall campaign fundraising, these people said. The people who spoke to CNBC did so on the condition of anonymity in order to talk about private conversations. […] Rebekah Mercer recently contributed $25,000 to Friends of Ron DeSantis, a political action committee that backed the Florida governor’s successful 2022 reelection campaign, according to the group’s regularly updated list of donors. The donation arrived a day before the Nov. 8 election, according to the list.” [CNBC, 11/18/22]
DeSantis Accepted More Than $115,000 In Political Contributions From John Rosatti And John Staluppi, Allegedly Members Of The Colombo Crime Family. According to the Americano News, “According to campaign finance records reviewed by Floricua, John Rosatti and John Staluppi, who were allegedly members of the Colombo crime family, have donated more than $115,000 to DeSantis’ campaign and the Friends of Ron DeSantis political action committee.” [Americano News, 9/23/22]
Rosatti And Staluppi Were Alleged By The FBI To Be Members Of The Colombo Family, One Of Five Mafia Families In New York City. According to the Americano News, “In the 1980s and 1990s, the FBI alleged that John Rosatti and John Staluppi were members of the Colombo crime family, one of the five Italian American mafia families in New York City. Now, they are both exorbitantly wealthy businessmen and are using some of their money to fund Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ reelection campaign.” [Americano News, 9/23/22]
Rosatti Personally Contributed $25,100 To DeSantis’ PAC And $400 To His Campaign Since June 2021, As Well As $25,000 To The Republican Party Of Florida. According to the Americano News, “Rosatti, who now lives in Florida, has personally donated $25,100 to DeSantis’ PAC and another $400 to DeSantis’ campaign since June 2021. He has also donated $25,000 to the Republican Party of Florida.” [Americano News, 9/23/22]
Rosatti Contributed To DeSantis Primarily Via His Businesses, Where Several Companies Which Had Rosatti Listed As CEO Contributed To DeSantis’ PAC. According to the Americano News, “Rosatti, who now lives in Florida, has personally donated $25,100 to DeSantis’ PAC and another $400 to DeSantis’ campaign since June 2021. He has also donated $25,000 to the Republican Party of Florida. The bulk of the donations, however, came via some of Rosatti’s businesses that make up his New York-based Plaza Auto Mall empire. More notably, Plaza Hyundai, Plaza Motors of Brooklyn, and Plaza Oldsmobile each directed $25,000 to DeSantis’ PAC on Dec. 31, 2021. According to the New York Department of State’s Division of Corporations public database, Rosatti is listed as the chief executive officer of each of these businesses, which have since been merged out of existence. Staluppi, meanwhile, donated $3,000 to DeSantis on Nov. 30. His wife also donated $3,000 on the same day.” [Americano News, 9/23/22]
Staluppi And His Wife Contributed $6,000 To DeSantis On The Same Day. According to the Americano News, “Staluppi, meanwhile, donated $3,000 to DeSantis on Nov. 30. His wife also donated $3,000 on the same day.” [Americano News, 9/23/22]
Across Gubernatorial And Senate Campaigns, DeSantis Accepted $600,000 In Contributions From Billionaire John W. Childs, Owner Of The Equity Firm J.W. Childs Associates. According to the American Independent, “According to a review of campaign finance disclosures, DeSantis received two in-kind donations from an individual named John. W. Childs, the billionaire owner of the equity firm J.W. Childs Associates. The in-kind contributions were reported in February 2022 as $1,260 for ‘food and beverage’ and $1,508.64 for ‘transportation.’ Childs contributed $600,000 to DeSantis’ 2018 gubernatorial campaign and his failed U.S. Senate bid in 2016.” [American Independent, 10/26/22]
Childs Was Arrested In 2019 For Allegedly Soliciting Prostitutes At A Spa In Florida At A Spa Connected To A Human Trafficking Ring, Before The Charges Were Dropped In 2020. According to the American Independent, “Childs was arrested in 2019 for allegedly soliciting prostitution at a spa in Florida that was accused of having ties to a human trafficking ring. The arrest came after a six-month investigation that uncovered traffickers ‘luring vulnerable women to massage parlors in Indian River County, where they were coerced into working as prostitutes,’ according to TCPalm. All charges against Childs were dropped in 2020, and his court records were expunged in 2021.” [American Independent, 10/26/22]
DeSantis’ PAC Accepted Over $19,000 In Contributions From Timothy Leuliette, Former CEO Of Automotive Electronics Supplier Visteon. According to the American Independent, “In February, Timothy Leuliette, the former CEO of automotive electronics supplier Visteon, gave $19,000 to the PAC Friends of Ron DeSantis, according to campaign finance records.” [American Independent, 10/26/22]
Leuliette And His Wife Had Each Directly Contributed $3,000 To DeSantis’ Campaign. According to the American Independent, “In addition to his contribution to the PAC supporting DeSantis, Leuliette and his wife each donated $3,000 directly to DeSantis’ campaign, according to campaign finance records.” [American Independent, 10/26/22]
2015: Leuliette Resigned His CEO Position Following Allegations Of Sexual Misconduct, Including Charges He Had Used Company Devices To Solicit Prostitutes. According to the American Independent, “In February, Timothy Leuliette, the former CEO of automotive electronics supplier Visteon, gave $19,000 to the PAC Friends of Ron DeSantis, according to campaign finance records. Leuliette resigned from his position leading the company in 2015 after an investigation of allegations of sexual misconduct against him. A lengthy legal battle over Leuliette’s split from Visteon included a charge that he had used company devices to solicit prostitutes and download pornography, the Detroit News reported.” [American Independent, 10/26/22]
DeSantis’ PAC Accepted Over $1.3 Million In Contributions From Gregory Cook, Chair Of Multilevel Marketing Company And Essential Oil Provider doTERRA. According to the American Independent, “Information posted to the website of Friends of Ron DeSantis, a political action committee supporting the Florida Republican governor, shows that it took $1.3 million from the chair of a multilevel marketing firm that has been warned by federal regulators for making misleading health claims. A spreadsheet on the website discloses that it received a $1.3 million donation on Feb. 22 from Gregory P. Cook of Pleasant Grove, Utah, a founding executive and chair of the board of doTERRA, a multilevel marketing company that says its mission is ‘to share the highest-quality essential oils with the world.’” [American Independent, 3/1/23]
doTERRA Has Been Accused By Consumer Advocates And Governmental Agencies Of Making Misleading Claims About The Effects Of Its Oils. According to the American Independent, “A spreadsheet on the website discloses that it received a $1.3 million donation on Feb. 22 from Gregory P. Cook of Pleasant Grove, Utah, a founding executive and chair of the board of doTERRA, a multilevel marketing company that says its mission is ‘to share the highest-quality essential oils with the world.’ The company has been accused by consumer advocates and governmental agencies of misleading marketing efforts. […] In recent years, doTERRA representatives have been accused of making unsubstantiated claims that its products cure or prevent diseases. According to a report published in Scientific American in March 2020, there is no evidence-backed research documenting that essential oils can cure any illnesses.” [American Independent, 3/1/23]
September 2014: The FDA Sent A Letter To doTERRA Over Company Materials Which Made FDA-Unapproved Claims, Such As That Their Oils Helped Cure Ebola, Cancer, Autism, And Alzheimer’s. According to the American Independent, “In September 2014, the Food and Drug Administration sent a letter to the company noting that its review of both websites and social media accounts promoting doTERRA products found they were sold illegally based on claims that they could treat or prevent medical conditions. ‘As described below, the marketing of your dōTERRA Essential Oil products with drug claims and without FDA approved-applications is in violation’ of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the letter notes, citing claims by sellers that the products help treat or stop ‘conditions including, but not limited to, viral infections (including ebola), bacterial infections, cancer, brain injury, autism, endometriosis, Grave’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, tumor reduction, ADD/ADHD, and other conditions that are not amenable to self-diagnosis and treatment by individuals who are not medical practitioners.’” [American Independent, 3/1/23]
April 2020: The FTC Sent A Warning Letter To doTERRA Over Unlawful Advertising That Their Oils Treat COVID-19. According to the American Independent, “In April 2020, the Federal Trade Commission sent its own warning letter to the company, citing: ‘social media posts made by doTERRA International, LLC (‘doTERRA’) business opportunity participants or representatives that unlawfully advertise that certain products treat or prevent Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and misrepresent that consumers who become doTERRA business opportunity participants are likely to earn substantial income.’ ‘You are responsible for the claims of your business opportunity participants and Representatives,’ the agency noted. ‘You are advised to review all claims relating to your products and business opportunity and immediately cease, and require your business opportunity participants and representatives to cease, making claims that are not supported by the evidence or substantiation described above.’” [American Independent, 3/1/23]
Consumer Advocacy Group Truth In Advertising Documented 140 Examples Of doTERRA Distributors Making Unfounded Claims About The Effects Of Their Oils. According to the American Independent, “In October 2019, the consumer advocacy group Truth in Advertising said that it had documented ‘more than 140 examples of doTerra distributors claiming the company’s essential oils can treat or alleviate the symptoms of a number of health conditions, including ADHD, autism, cancer, diabetes, endometriosis, epilepsy and PTSD, just to name a few.’” [American Independent, 3/1/23]
doTERRA Was A Multilevel Marketing Firm Which Allowed Individuals To Pay Money To Become Sellers, An Approach The FTC Has Said Could Lead To Illegal Pyramid Schemes. According to the American Independent, “Like other multilevel marketing companies, doTERRA allows individuals to pay money to become sellers, or ‘wellness advocates,’ to collect a percentage of the products they sell. The Federal Trade Commission says that some multilevel marketing businesses are illegal pyramid schemes, but warns that people who join even those that are legitimate are unlikely to make much money, if any.” [American Independent, 3/1/23]