“Deegan Launches Re-Election Campaign by Violating the Law”

TALLAHASSEE, FL – The Republican Party of Florida today announced it is filing a formal complaint with the Florida Elections Commission against Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan’s re-election campaign for breaking Florida election laws in the launch of her campaign.

“Donna Deegan started her re-election campaign the same way she’s failed to lead Jacksonville – lawless, reckless, and completely out of touch,” said Evan Power, Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida.

The Republican Party of Florida’s complaint outlines violations of Chapter 106, Florida Statutes, including accepting in-kind contributions, making expenditures, and/or authorizing campaign expenditures prior to opening a campaign account and authorizing expenditures without sufficient funds on deposit in a campaign account. These are clear and serious violations of Florida campaign finance laws.

“For Donna Deegan, this is a pattern,” Power continued. “Whether it’s keeping a gun registry, undermining immigration enforcement, or now ignoring election law, she has repeatedly treated the law as optional. Meanwhile, Jacksonville families are paying the price — with a bloated city budget, rising property taxes, doubled garbage fees, and rising utility rates.”

On Thursday, April 16, Mayor Deegan filed paperwork to begin her re-election campaign. Within hours, her campaign released a polished, multi-minute video featuring staged footage of Deegan — including scenes filmed in her downtown office – along with testimonials, edited news clips, and multiple filming locations across Jacksonville.

That kind of production doesn’t happen in a few hours – and it doesn’t happen for free. Under Florida law, a candidate must file their campaign paperwork and open a campaign account before making or authorizing any campaign expenses.

Donna Deegan’s campaign now has serious questions to answer.

Based on the timing, she or someone authorized on behalf of her campaign either accepted an in-kind contribution before they were legally allowed to, spent money before they were legally allowed to, or approved a high-end campaign video to be produced knowing it would require payment without having her campaign account open and campaign funds in the bank. Either way – it’s a violation of Florida law.

Put simply: you cannot do campaign activity, accept contributions, make expenditures, or incur obligations to pay before there is a legal campaign.

The Republican Party of Florida is requesting that the Florida Elections Commission initiate an investigation into whether the Deegan campaign made or authorized expenditures prior to filing its campaign paperwork and establishing a legal campaign account, including whether political committee funds were improperly used to support campaign activity.