FLAT OUT BROKE

DeSantis’ Struggling Campaign Spent Eye-Watering $1.5 Million on Private Jets

The Republican’s campaign spent almost as much as it fundraised in its third quarter.

Even as his 2024 presidential bid struggled financially, Ron DeSantis spent $1.5 million on private jets in just over three months. Politico found that most of the private flights, many of which ferried DeSantis to Iowa and back, ceased in July and August. The Florida governor is prioritizing the state as it is the first primary caucus state to vote. According to third-quarter financial filings made on Sunday that were obtained by Politico, DeSantis’ campaign spent almost as much as it fundraised and has an additional $1 million in unpaid fees. He has been reducing costs by cutting staff, going from 90 staffers in July to just 63 on payroll at the end of September. While DeSantis has $12.3 million of the total $31.3 million he’s raised, he can only spend $5 million on the primary campaign, with the rest allocated for the general election. But his donors may end up saving him, with fundraising rates increasing every month across the third quarter. These wealthy benefactors include Michael DiNapoli, the executive director of Florida’s affordable housing agency who was suspended last month, and James Allen, who leads the gaming operations for the Seminole Tribe in the state.