Gov. Scott tapped to chair Super PAC supporting Trump

by | Jul 28, 2016


Rebuilding America Now, a Super PAC supporting Donald Trump‘s presidential campaign, announced Wednesday evening that Florida Gov. Rick Scott would serve as the group’s national chairman.

The news was first posted in a Tweet by Rebuilding America Now, which Scott retweeted on his own account.

Scott endorsed Trump on March 16, the day after he won Florida’s presidential primary election. In his own press release announcing the new role, Scott said that he was “excited” to chair the PAC, and praised Trump as “a businessman and an outsider” who “will bring the major change to Washington that our country
needs right now,” comparing Trump’s campaign to his own first gubernatorial campaign in 2010.

According to the PAC’s website, their goal is to act as a counterweight to Priorities USA Action, a Super PAC backing Trump’s Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.

Rebuilding American Now was launched at the beginning of June with the help of Tom Barrack, a Los Angeles-based developer who is a close friend of Trump’s. Barrack won’t have a formal role with the PAC. The two main advisers are Ken McKay, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s former campaign manager and a former senior adviser to Gov. Scott during his 2010 race, and Laurance Gay, a close confidante of Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort.

A likely role for Scott will be helping the group fundraise.

Barrack told reporters that the PAC had secured $32 million in financial commitments, but so far, FEC records show that they have collected only $2,160,000 in donations from four donors.

Murray Energy Corporation of St. Clairsville, Ohio, the “largest underground coal mining company in America,” according to their website, contributed $100,000. Southeast QSR, LLC, a Clearwater, Florida based company that operates Taco Bell and Pizza Hut franchises in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina, gave the PAC $50,000, and Nashville-based developer Rick Carlton, a frequent name on GOP donor lists, threw in $10,000.

Over 92 percent of the PAC’s funds came from Geoffrey H. Palmer, a Beverly Hills developer who gave $2,000,000. This contribution made Palmer Trump’s biggest individual donor besides himself.

Palmer, who Curbed Los Angeles dubbed “Downtown’s Worst Developer” is no stranger to controversy, being frequently criticized for his penchant for sprawling, ostentatious, “fauxtalian” apartment complexes, “accidentally” bulldozing a 1880 Queen Anne historic home, violating campaign finance laws by laundering donations and giving illegal contributions, and building skybridges on his buildings to allow tenants to avoid having to walk past homeless people in downtown L.A..

Earlier this year, Palmer was sued by the city of Los Angeles after an arson fire destroyed one of his apartment buildings while it was being constructed, as well as damaging or destroying the rest of the buildings on the block. L.A.’s city attorney accused Palmer’s development company of not having an adequate fire plan, failed to have proper fire walls and other fire suppression devices, and failed to have adequate water on site, arguing if they had, the fire could have been prevented or contained. Palmer’s company was also accused of failing to have proper security measures on the construction site that could have prevented people like the arsonist from trespassing on the property.

So far, FEC campaign finance records show that Rebuilding America Now has spent over $1.4 million on their video ads attacking Clinton. McKay and Gay, the two main advisers to the PAC, were each paid $60,000 for just the month of June. After tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees, travel, and other miscellaneous expenses, there was less than $600,000 cash on hand.

It’s unclear how much money Rebuilding America Now has taken in during recent weeks. Politico reported that the group is spending $2.2 million in ads this week.

This article has been updated with additional information.

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr.

Follow Sarah Rumpf on Twitter: @rumpfshaker.

Follow @TheCapitolist on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and download our free app.

13 Comments

  1. Shirley

    Goodd replies in return of this query with solid arguments and telling all about that.

  2. sex

    What a information of un-ambiguity and preserveness of precious experience on the topic of unpredicted feelings.

  3. web page

    What’s up friends, how is everything, and what you desire to say about
    this paragraph, in my view its really amazing in support of
    me.

  4. antivol voiture efficace

    Nice post. I was checking constantly this blog and I’m
    impressed! Extremely helpful info particularly the
    final part 🙂 I deal with such information a lot. I used to be looking for this
    particular information for a very lengthy time.
    Thanks and best of luck.

  5. Website

    Hello mates, its fantastic post regarding tutoringand entirely explained, keep it up all the time.

  6. web page

    I believe what you published made a lot of sense. However, what about this?

    suppose you wrote a catchier title? I ain’t saying your content is
    not solid, however suppose you added a post title that grabbed a person’s attention?
    I mean Gov. Scott tapped to chair Super PAC supporting
    Trump | The Capitolist is a little boring. You should peek at Yahoo’s front page and note how they create post headlines to grab people
    to open the links. You might add a video or a related pic
    or two to grab people interested about everything’ve written. Just my
    opinion, it might make your blog a little bit more interesting.

  7. Pasarqq

    My brother recommended I might like this
    blog. He was once totally right. This submit actually made my day.
    You can not believe just how so much time I had
    spent for this information! Thanks!

  8. Web Site

    Hi to every body, it’s my first visit of this website; this webpage includes amazing and truly good
    material in favor of readers.

  9. best airbnb management london

    You could definitely see your expertise in the work you write.
    The world hopes for even more passionate writers like you who aren’t afraid to say how
    they believe. At all times go after your heart.

  10. hokislot88

    Awesome! Its really amazing piece of writing, I have got
    much clear idea regarding from this post.

  11. sex

    I used to be suggested this blog via my cousin. I’m now not sure whether this post is
    written by means of him as nobody else realize such distinct about my problem.
    You are incredible! Thank you!