Chris Jankowski, the chief executive of the super PAC working to elect Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) president, stepped down Wednesday, the latest blow to DeSantis’s hopes for the Republican nomination.
Never Back Down, the DeSantis-aligned super PAC, has pushed the boundaries of what super PACs may legally do. Super PACs are prohibited from coordinating with presidential campaigns, yet Never Back Down has taken the lead on building a grassroots network and other duties traditionally reserved for campaigns, including paying for some of DeSantis’s travel.
The New York Times first reported Jankowski’s resignation, which was effective immediately.
A Never Back Down spokeswoman provided a statement from Mr. Jankowski to the Times reading,
Never Back Down’s main goal and sole focus has been to elect Governor Ron DeSantis as President. Given the current environment it has become untenable for me to deliver on the shared goal and that goes well beyond a difference of strategic opinion. For the future of our country I support and pray Ron DeSantis is our 47th president.
Never Back Down has received a litany of bad publicity since DeSantis formally launched his campaign in May. The organization has been widely accused of creating more headaches than help for DeSantis and has run into financial difficulties as it struggles to raise funds and strike a chord with potential voters.
Significant infighting, far beyond what is usual, even within high stakes presidential campaign operations, have been widely reported as well.
In mid-November, the creation of Fight Right Inc., a new super PAC promoting DeSantis, raised additional questions regarding the future of Never Back Down.
Tuesday, a top evangelical leader in Iowa, Bob Vander Plaats, confirmed a report from Reuters that his organization received $95,000 from what the Reuters report described as the “DeSantis campaign, a super PAC linked to him and a nonprofit group” before he endorsed the governor’s presidential election.
“Everything we do is above board,” Vander Platts told Fox News‘s Bret Baier after confirming the story.
The Iowa caucuses will take place January 15, 2024.
Follow Bradley Jaye on Twitter at @BradleyAJaye.
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