(PartiallyPolitics.com) – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has lost a second donor within a couple of weeks, after a New York-based billionaire who had previously supported former President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential race, argued that there was no chance of him supporting DeSantis in a possible presidential bid.
On Wednesday, John Catsimatidis, who has an estimated $4.1 billion fortune, claimed that he was pulling any funding from DeSantis because of lack of access. In the interview with the Washington Examiner, Catsimatidis questioned why he should be providing funding for someone who “doesn’t return phone calls.”
Catsimatidis had previously donated $15,000 to DeSantis’s gubernatorial campaign in 2018. This donation was also noted in a Federal Election Commission filing.
This news comes after it was announced that major GOP donor Thomas Peterffy, who is the 65th richest man in the world with a net worth of $25 billion, stated that he had put “on hold” any possible donations to DeSantis because of his position on abortion and book banning.
DeSantis, who has not yet announced a presidential bid, is widely expected to be joining the 2024 GOP primary. According to most polls, he is also one of the potential challengers that could fight Trump for the GOP nomination.
During Wednesday’s interview, Catsimatidis claimed that the reason people donate funds to others is because “they want to have access and to be able to have a discussion.” He added that he has never in three decades asked for a personal favor.
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