Amid the internal struggles, DeSantis is banking heavily on Iowa after the state's evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats gave the Florida governor his endorsement.
Vander Plaats endorsed the last three Iowa winners,....
Vander Plaats, who leads the influential says his backing could be decisive if Trump is to be stopped.
Iowa Evangelical Leader Admits He Was Paid 95K by DeSantis…“My only regret is that we probably should have charged more.”
November 22, 2023 | Ad rem | 213 Comments
Bob Vander Plaats, an evangelical leader in Iowa, has admitted to being paid 95K by the DeSantis campaign prior to his endorsement. What a waste of money – considering this guy was happy to be a Never Trumper for free.
(Reuters) – The DeSantis campaign, a super PAC linked to him and a nonprofit group supporting him together paid $95,000 in recent months to the Family Leader Foundation, an Iowa-based nonprofit led by evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats, according to campaign finance reports and a document prepared by an Iowa state lawmaker who was helping the Vander Plaats organization raise money for a July 14 presidential candidate forum.
The document and the amount spent by DeSantis and his allies are previously unreported.
For that money, DeSantis and supporting groups got three pages of advertisements in a booklet distributed at the July forum attended by 2,000 Christian conservatives, and tickets to the summit, lunch and an after-dinner event.
But the real value may be more in building a relationship with Vander Plaats, whose endorsement is coveted in the early-voting state, said three campaign finance experts and an academic who studies Iowa campaign spending.”
BREAKING: Iowa evangelical leader admits he was paid by the DeSantis Team prior to his endorsement pic.twitter.com/EoVmMPLe1y — Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) November 21, 2023
Desantis could have helped unite the Republican Party by endorsing President Trump for 2024. Instead, he chose to run against him and divide our country further in an act of sheer desperation. Please clap…