The Orlando Magic is making it very clear where its support for Ron DeSantis stands, donating $50,000 to his campaign.
The team made the shocking contribution on June 26th, as reported by the Federal Election Commission. The donation was the Magic’s first to the presidential campaign, though, in the past, the team supported both Democratic and Republican state-level elections. While the money may have been a shocker to some, the team’s owner Richard DeVos is closely linked to Donald Trump, who has publicly supported DeSantis. DeVos is the father-in-law of former President Donald Trump’s secretary of education, Betsy DeVos, Yahoo News reports.
Another key factor is that the team has long been a supporter of DeSantis, donating $25,000 to him in 2022, which should have been an indicator that the team would support his bid for the White House. Though the date of receipt for the latest donation was listed as June 26th, the check was delivered on May 19th, with DeSantis announcing his run for president on the 24th. The Orlando Magic clarified this timeline in a statement on Wednesday.
“To clarify, this gift was given before Governor DeSantis entered the presidential race. It was given as a Florida business in support of a Florida governor for the continued prosperity of Central Florida,” the organization explained.
It seems that the Orlando Magic has long supported political endeavors, dating back to at least 2000, when they donated $500 to Democrat Linda Chapin during her congress run. DeSantis has not publicly commented on the matter as he continues his highly controversial push for the country leader seat.
