EXCLUSIVE: Florida Freedom PAC Donations Spark Concerns Over Potential Pay-to-Play Scheme

Large donations to the Florida Freedom Fund, a political action committee (PAC) supporting Governor Ron DeSantis’s political initiatives, have raised questions about possible pay-to-play arrangements following the 2024 election. The contributions, originating from Keep Florida Clean, Inc., a political committee chaired by DeSantis’s newly appointed Attorney General James Uthmeier, and William Mateer, son of a DeSantis appointee, Craig Mateer, have drawn scrutiny due to their timing and connections to key appointments.

The Florida Freedom Fund received a $500,000 donation from William Mateer on March 28, 2025, according to state records. The Orlando address listed for Mateer’s donation is registered to property owned by his father, Craig Mateer, whom Governor Ron DeSantis appointed to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District on March 26, 2024—almost exactly one year prior to William Mateer’s donation. A 2021 Tallahassee Democrat article confirmed William Mateer as Craig Mateer’s son, noting their family’s involvement in renovating the Governor’s Inn in Tallahassee, where they dedicated a suite to Governor DeSantis.

Separately, Keep Florida Clean, Inc., chaired by James Uthmeier, donated $1.1 million to the Florida Freedom Fund on December 12, 2024, followed by an additional $131,433.51 on February 4, 2025. These contributions came after the 2024 election and shortly before Uthmeier’s appointment as Florida Attorney General, announced by DeSantis on January 16, 2025. Uthmeier, who previously served as DeSantis’s presidential campaign manager, was sworn in as Attorney General on February 17, 2025. Three days later, on February 20, Keep Florida Clean, Inc. filed paperwork with the Florida Division of Elections to disband, with the form signed by Uthmeier.

The timing of these donations and appointments has prompted speculation about their purpose. A recent article from Loomer Unleashed suggested the Florida Freedom Fund may be laying the groundwork for a potential 2026 gubernatorial campaign by Casey DeSantis, the governor’s wife.

As questions about the Florida Freedom Fund and Casey DeSantis’s potential 2026 gubernatorial candidacy continue to grow, it will be intriguing to observe how the DeSantis family and their political allies respond to the mounting public pressure.

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