Developers, insurance interests, hedge fund, and more funnel cash to Gov. DeSantis political committee

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ political committee has collected $420,000 since the first of the year, including $135,000 in April, drawing upon donations from developers, insurance interests, and former House Speaker Will Weatherford’s hedge fund.

State records show that the Weatherford Partners LLC, or Weatherford Capital, kicked in $10,000 on April 16 to Friends of Ron DeSantis. Weatherford runs the fund from Tampa with his two brothers, Sam and Drew.

American Bankers Insurance Co., which operates as Assurant, contributed $35,000.

Growing Florida’s Future gave $25,000. The political committee’s registered chairman is Trey McCarley, a GOP political finance expert with links to former state House Speaker Steve Crisafulli. The Wholesale and Specialty Insurance Association, a trade group based in Kansas City, Mo., gave the same amount.

Len-Angeline LLC gave $20,000. The company is a partnership between the big development company, Lennar Corp., and Angeline Corp., a development arm of the pioneering Bexley ranching family in Pasco County, according to reports in the Tampa Bay Times.

During March, the two largest gifts the DeSantis committee attracted were $50,000 each from the Realtors Political Action Committee and Riverend LLC, described as a real estate company in Boca Raton.

The biggest donation in February came from Comprehensive Health Management of Tampa, which performs back-office services for insurance companies, at $50,000. Florida Blue was one of four entities that gave $25,000 that month.

The records indicate the committee raised nothing during January.

The Friends of Ron DeSantis PAC isn’t the only source of political cash for DeSantis. During the campaign, DeSantis collected more than $19 million in individual contributions.