TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – A newly filed lawsuit against Byron Donalds, the Republican front-runner for Florida governor, alleges that he assaulted a woman in 2022.
The Tuesday-filed lawsuit addressed an August 2022 incident that allegedly transpired at a Naples grocery store in Collier County.
The plaintiff alleges that Donalds confronted and threatened her during a dispute related to prior litigation involving his wife, the court records revealed. At the time of the incident, the lawsuit revealed that the plaintiff was accompanied by her husband and two young children.
She claims that Donalds berated her, insulted her and threatened to “finish” or “crush” her, according to the lawsuit.
Furthermore, the complaint alleges that Donalds acted in coordination with his senior advisor, Larry Wilcoxson, who allegedly followed the plaintiff “through the store while yelling and creating a public disturbance.”
The lawsuit went on to say that the plaintiff contends she was cornered and reasonably feared imminent violence, causing her severe “emotional distress, humiliation, fear, anxiety, embarrassment and mental anguish.”
The complaint argues that Donalds “intended to intimidate, threaten and place” the plaintiff in fear.
The allegations have not yet been tested in court, and they are civil, not criminal, in nature.
As a result, the plaintiff, Kelly Mason, is seeking both compensatory and punitive damages, as well as a trial by jury and costs and interests, the complaint indicates.
See more of WCTV’s latest news here
WCTV independently confirmed through court records that attorney Anthony Sabatini, who the plaintiff hired to represent her in this case, is the same lawyer representing opposing Republican gubernatorial candidate James Fishback in his ballot access case.
“I represent dozens of public officials and candidates throughout the state; I’ve known Kelly Mason for 6 years,” Sabatini said. “I represent (Fishback) and Mason in very different capacities.”
Fishback addressed the lawsuit against Donalds in a statement Wednesday afternoon, alleging that the plaintiff served on a board of directors with Donalds before the two had a fallout.
Fishback claims the fallout is what led to the 2022 incident occurring at the grocery store between Donalds and the plaintiff. Fishback went on to make a derogatory comment in his statement regarding the 2022 incident:
Fishback claims the fallout is what led to the 2022 incident occurring at the grocery store between Donalds and the plaintiff. Fishback went on to make a derogatory comment in his statement regarding the 2022 incident:(WCTV)
Additionally, Fishback reaffirmed his statement Wednesday on X, formerly known as Twitter, after being questioned about it:
Maybe because he chimped out…
— James Fishback (@j_fishback) July 8, 2026
After learning about the lawsuit, WCTV reached out to Donalds’ campaign communications director Gates McGavick, who called the complaint “a baseless, politically motivated attack and shameful publicity stunt designed to damage” in the 2026 election.
“This individual has a long history of unsucessful litigation against the Donalds family. Floridians deserve better news coverage than lazy reprints of a tabloid.”
However, Sabatini wrote in a statement to WCTV Wednesday that “the complaint and video speak for themselves.”
As to allegations the complaint was politically motivated given his connection to Fishback and the timing of an election year, Sabatini said “She is within the statute of limitations, which is 4 years.”
He went on to say the plaintiff’s process of waiting to file until now isn’t unusual.
“Many clients take a long period of time until they come to a final decision on whether to file a lawsuit,” he said.
Donalds is largely considered the frontrunner to become the GOP’s nominee for governor. And, because Republicans hold a substantial lead in registered voters, some consider Donalds the frontrunner to become the next governor.
The primary election will be held in August, with the general election set for November.
“His [Byron Donalds] actions were disturbing.”
To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Nextdoor and X (Twitter).
Have a news tip or see an error? Write to us here. Please include the article’s headline in your message.
Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here to get started.
Copyright 2026 WCTV. All rights reserved.