Why are there concerns about the Orlando Magic’s $50,000 donation to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and what's been said?
Eyebrows were raised following the news that the Magic donated to the state’s Governor and even more so when considering the timing of it all.
Though the Orlando Magic initially refused to publicly comment on the situation, an official statement has now been given concerning their recent donation to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ Super PAC, “Never Back Down Inc.”
What have the Orlando Magic said?
Following wide-ranging concerns about the idea and timing of a $50,000 donation to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who announced his intention to run for president in 2024 back on May 24th, the Orlando Magic released the following statement: “To clarify, this gift was given before Governor DeSantis entered the presidential race,” a Magic spokesperson said. “It was given as a Florida business in support of a Florida governor for the continued prosperity of Central Florida.”
Now, this is where things get interesting, and not just because of timelines. To be clear, the official website of the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) indicates that the donation from the Magic was received on June 26th, after DeSantis had announced his presidential run, however, the team has since indicated that the check itself was dated May 19th, which as you can see is prior to DeSantis’ announcement. So, OK that all seems legitimate. On the other hand, the real question is, ‘Why are the Orlando Magic who’ve maintained a partnership with Disney since 2010 and have had the company as the team’s official jersey sponsor since 2017, donating money to a man who has made attacking Disney one of the focal points of his political approach in Florida?’ We leave that one to you.
The Orlando Magic have donated before
Interestingly enough, the Magic as a franchise has made donations before, three to be precise. According to the FEC, the first of those was in 2016 when they donated $500 to a Super PAC called “Conservative Results.” The second was to the tune of $2,000 made in 2014 to a Super PAC called “Maverick PAC USA,” and lastly was another $500 given to Linda Chapin in 2000 for Congress. For a little context, the franchise was purchased by the late Richard DeVos in 1991 and has remained in the family since. Today, Richard’s son, Dan DeVos is the chairman and if that last name seems familiar, that’s because Dan’s sister-in-law is Betsy DeVos, the former chair of the Michigan Republican Party and more recently, the U.S. Secretary of Education under former President Donald Trump from 2017-2021. As for the team, the Magic posted a 34-48 record last season which was good enough for a 13th-place finish in the Eastern Conference. Political wrangling aside, they’ll need to improve this coming campaign.