Andrew Gillum’s political action committee Forward Florida has spent over $373,500 on consulting since February—over $46,000 per month—even though the PAC is not backing any candidate and no major election will occur in the state until November 2020.
While the spending is not illegal, several Florida-based political consultants and campaign finance attorneys who declined to speak on the record said the amount of spending does raise questions.
And this is not the first time Forward Florida has faced controversy. Donors criticized the PAC for not spending more of its cash on hand to help Gillum win his 2018 gubernatorial election.
The lion’s share of the consulting fees have been $25,000 monthly installments to the law firm of Stearns Weaver Miller, a statewide legal team specializing in “a range of issues, including campaign advertising and finance, disputed elections, Florida Open Government / Sunshine Laws, and ethics issues,” according to its website. – READ MORE