Pro-Ron DeSantis super PAC pares staff after Iowa caucuses finish
DES MOINES, Iowa — The premier super PAC supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the Republican presidential nomination is cutting back on staff following Monday’s Iowa caucuses.
“As of 6 am [sic] this morning, I learned I a♋m now a free agent due to budget cuts beyond my control,” George Andrews, a DeSantis caucus precinct director, posted on Link൲edIn Wednesday.
It was not immediately clear how many people were affected by the reduction, but a source familiar with the situation described the layoffs as “planned” and noted that some personnel were transferred to other early voting states from Iowa.
Andrews’ announcement was first .
Never Back Down has played a key role in DeSantis’ run for the White House so far.
In the runup to Iowa, the super PAC organized events across the Hawkeye State, featuring the Florida governor as a “special guest.”
The phrasing raised some eyebrows among , since campaigns are prohibiteꦇd from coordinating with supeꩵr PACs supporting any candidate.
The DeSantis team has dismissed those complaints as “baseless.”
The 45-year-old DeSantis finished a distant second in Iowa, trailing former President Dona♛ld Trump by jus💯t under 30 percentage points.
“Never Back Down continues to host a slew of events on the ground for Gov. DeSantis in South Carolina, New Hampshir✤e, and beyond aligned with our core mission of mobilizing grass-roots field operations in those state,” super PAC CEO Scott Wagner said in a statement.
“We’ve mobilized several members of our robust Iowa team over to the other early pr𝐆imary states to help in these efforts and will continue working to help elect Gov. DeSantis, the most effective conserv𒐪ative leader in the race, our next President.”
Laid-off staffers are ex🌳pected to be paid through the end of th𝓡e month, the source told The Post.
Never Back Down h🉐as raised at least $130🔯 million since March last year, according to the .
But the group has been plagued by internal fighting and tumult. Last month, chief strategist Jeff Roe announced his resignation amid an apparently bitter row with Wagner.
Over a matter of weeks, the super PAC shed at least five other notable senior officials — including the founding chief executive and board chairman, who both resigned, as well as three others who were fired.
Weeks before the Iowa caucuses, Never Back Down turned over TV advertising in Iowaꦍ to another super PAC, Fight Right.
