The executive committee for the Republican Party of Florida will decide Tuesday on a rule clarifying Chair Evan Power’s abilities to fundraise while seeking federal office.
Officials with the party said the matter will simply set guidelines making clear Power cannot raise large sums personally for the state party, but that he can still act as Chair as he has done for months. The rule is being considered as Power runs for an open seat representing Florida’s 2nd Congressional District.
But one of Power’s opponents, lawyer Keith Gross, said the situation smacks of cronyism.
“This is corruption, plain and simple. The Republican Party of Florida has now effectively acknowledged the illegality behind the scheme boosting Evan Power, and the rush to cover it up tells you everything you need to know,” Gross said.
A Rules Committee will meet Monday evening to consider a rule, and then the 40-member state Republican Executive Committee will address the issue on a conference phone call Tuesday morning. Power will likely be on the call, but cannot vote.
The proposed Rule 33 formally establishes that a special committee will be named that includes no federal officeholders and will hold oversight over fundraising and spending in the state party’s state accounts. That includes soliciting funds.
That’s because federal candidates cannot raise more than $10,000 for a state party, part of soft money bans in place in federal law. Officials in the party say Power had a role in raising large-dollar contributions after his election as Chair in 2024. That role has since been delegated to a full-time staffer in the state party for months. That party hire was made months before U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn announced his retirement and Power launched a campaign to succeed him.
Under the new rule, the state would not be allowed to raise large sums, and oversight over those efforts would fall to a new committee instead of the Chair.
Already, Gross has filed a complaint to the Federal Election Commission asserting Power wrongly used his position as Chair to leverage an advantage in the congressional race over other Republicans. He said the new rulemaking was more problematic behavior.
“Without the title he’s weaponized to shield himself, Evan Power is an unelectable, scandal-plagued, no-name candidate who couldn’t win a fair primary on merit alone,” Gross said. “This wasn’t about advancing conservative values or winning elections, it was about rigging the process to prop up a weak candidate through abuse of party resources. Florida Republicans deserve better than insider games and backroom corruption.”
The Party already issued a statement previously criticizing Gross’ complaint.
“The Republican Party of Florida strictly complies with all applicable federal and state election laws,” that statement reads. “Any allegations to the contrary are inaccurate and based on a misunderstanding of the law and RPOF’s processes and procedures.”