Never Back Down has taken over many activities traditionally shouldered by candidates’ official campaigns.
An independent group funding much of Ron DeSantis’s presidential effort has become a joint investor with his campaign in a private transportation management company that provides lower-cost airplane leases for the Florida governor, according to two people familiar with the matter.
The unusual agreement — which allows both the DeSantis campaign and the Never Back Down super PAC to lease planes in a larger volume at lower market rates — is yet another way that DeSantis and his allies have found to use unlimited donations to help cover the cost of activities historically borne directly by official campaigns.
Under the arrangement, both entities bought partial ownership of an airplane lease or leases, according to the people familiar with the deal, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a nonpublic contract. The agreement required each group to pay the costs of operations, including crew, fuel and airport fees when they use the planes.
“We will continue to follow the law as we maximize our resources to bring Ron DeSantis’s message to reverse the decline of this country and lead our Great American Comeback to as many voters as possible,” Andrew Romeo, the communications director for the DeSantis campaign, said in a statement. A spokesperson for Never Back Down declined to comment.
In recent weeks, DeSantis has flown using the joint leases, according to the people familiar with the plans. Never Back Down has not yet taken advantage of the arrangement. The people declined to discuss the specific terms of the agreement or the amount of money saved by leasing together.
DeSantis’s movements over at least 15 days this summer corresponded with the movements of a Gulfstream IV jet that seats up to 19 people owned by a Houston company called Empyreal Jet. The campaign reported paying $100,000 through the end of June to Empyreal in its federal filings.
In July, however, DeSantis left the Gulfstream IV in the midst of a trip to Iowa, according to flight-tracking data. DeSantis continued on his trip with other aircraft, while the Gulfstream returned to its base in Houston and has not been used again by the campaign.
A third person familiar with the arrangement said the plane repeatedly experienced minor problems.
