Let’s Get to Work, a 527 group associated with Florida Republican candidate for governor Rick Scott, raised $2.1 million last week, with $1.5 million coming from a trust in the name of Scott’s wife. Her donation marks the first time she has given money since Scott won the Republican primary for governor. Scott himself gave his campaign over $5.2 million in the first two weeks of October alone, bringing the former health care executive’s total self-funding to just under $50 million. Including his wife’s donations to Let’s Get to Work, the Scotts have spent over $60 million thus far in the campaign.
Other significant donations to Let’s Get to Work came from various entities in the health care industry:
- Blue Cross Blue Shield, the state’s largest health insurer, contributed $150,000, bringing its total givings to Let’s Get to Work to $300,000.
- Automated Healthcare Solutions, a Miramar-based workers compensation processing company opposed to a bill that would reduce the cost of prescription drugs in the state’s workers compensation program supported by Democratic candidate and Florida CFO Alex Sink, donated $125,000.
- Our Elders Count, a political action committee funded by nursing homes, donated $25,000, bringing its total to Let’s Get to Work to $35,000.
- The Florida Medical Association, which endorsed Scott despite his work as CEO of Columbia/HCA when the U.S. government fined the company $1.7 billion for Medicare and Medicaid fraud, donated $25,000.
Scott supports “a state constitutional amendment in Florida that prohibits the federal government from imposing President Obama’s individual mandate, to protect Floridians’ freedom to control their health care choices.”
The Florida Chamber of Commerce Alliance contributed $20,000, and an affiliated PAC, the Florida Jobs PAC, gave $80,000. (The Florida Chamber of Commerce endorsed Scott.) On economic policy, Scott supports “limiting job killing regulations” and “keeping taxes low.”
Let’s Get to Work has spent almost $2.5 million in September and October on “consulting” from Ponte Vedra Beach-based company Majority Strategies, a Republican direct-mail firm.
Scott is wildly outspending his Democratic opponent: Sink has raised just $10.5 million and spent $8.7 million so far. Her own associated 527, Let’s Hold Them Accountable!, has raised $110,500 since September.
Luke Johnson reports on Florida for The American Independent.
