![]() ![]() Anna Eskamani, a Democrat who represents Orlando in the state legislature and grew up in the city, said she and others in the city are baffled by the team’s move. “This is really a moment for those businesses who declare their values of inclusion so loudly to make those values actually mean something.”įlorida state Rep. “It’s incredibly disappointing that the Orlando Magic has chosen to publicly align themselves with his brand of right-wing extremism,” Brandon Wolf, press secretary for the LGBTQ civil rights group Equality Florida, said of the donation to the DeSantis super PAC. The Orlando Magic hosts a Pride Night, sells Pride-themed t-shirts and, along with members of the DeVos family, donated to a fund that supported victims of the 2016 mass shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub located in the city where the Magic are based. This year, DeSantis has signed into law restrictions on gender-affirming treatments for minors, drag shows, bathroom usage and which pronouns can be used in school.Īnd his administration has waged war on another Orlando-area business, Walt Disney World, for criticizing a controversial law – called “Don’t Say Gay” by its opponents – that restricts certain classroom instruction regarding sexual orientation and gender identity. The donation has stirred controversy among some groups in Florida, who say the team’s public support for the LGBTQ community conflicts with DeSantis’ record as governor. ![]() “It was given as a Florida business in support of a Florida governor for the continued prosperity of Central Florida.”ĭeSantis’ plans to run for the presidency in 2024, however, had been telegraphed months before he officially entered the race. “This gift was given before Governor DeSantis entered the presidential race,” Glass said in a statement. “They are undecided.”Īnd Orlando Magic’s spokesman Joel Glass described the check as supporting DeSantis in his role as governor because it was written on May 19, days before he formally launched his presidential candidacy on May 24. “No member of the DeVos family has endorsed or offered financial support to any 2024 Presidential candidate at this point,” Nick Wasmiller, a DeVos family spokesperson, said in an email to CNN. ![]() Richard DeVos’ daughter-in-law Betsy DeVos served as education secretary in the Trump administration.īut the team’s recent donation does not mean the family is endorsing DeSantis’ presidential bid, a family spokesperson said. Members of the family – whose fortune is tied to Amway, the multi-level marketing company co-founded by the family’s late patriarch Richard DeVos – have donated individually to DeSantis and other Republicans over the years. Orlando Magic is owned by members of the DeVos family, a wealthy Michigan clan prominent in Republican politics. “It would not be surprising if individual owners gave contributions, but it’s a surprise to see the corporation doing so.” “I cannot recall another example of a professional sports team donating as a corporation to a super PAC closely tied to a candidate,” said Michael Malbin, a campaign finance expert and professor emeritus of political science at the University at Albany-SUNY. And the contribution from the NBA team to Never Back Down, the group supporting DeSantis’ campaign for the Republican nomination, has drawn attention and criticism in Florida from Democrats and LGBTQ activists. It’s rare for a sports franchise to donate directly to a federal super PAC associated with a single candidate, experts say. Ron DeSantis, a new filing this week with federal regulators shows. In an unusual move for a professional sports team, the Orlando Magic donated $50,000 to a super PAC that supports the presidential bid of Florida Gov. ![]()
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