Florida’s dark money playbook: How ‘ghost’ candidate scheme revealed secretive political tactics
Last year, less than a month before Election Day, voters in Seminole and Volusia counties who would help decide one of the closest state...
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Dec 17, 20212 min
Operative pitched secretive political spending plan to FPL exec’s email alias, records reveal
Early in the evening of Nov. 26, 2019, the Tuesday of Thanksgiving week, a political consultant working for utility giant Florida Power &...
Dec 10, 20211 min
Operatives working for FPL arranged job offer to opponent of Jacksonville utility sale, records show
In the middle of 2019, Jacksonville City Council member Garrett Dennis was approached by a friend about a mysterious job offer. The offer...
Dec 2, 20213 min
Florida Power & Light execs worked with consultants behind ‘ghost’ candidate scheme, records reveal
Top executives at utility giant Florida Power & Light worked closely with the political consultants who orchestrated a scheme to promote...
Nov 18, 20212 min
Big business-linked group gave over $1 million to dark-money entity promoting ‘ghost’ candidates
An organization closely linked to one of Florida’s biggest business-lobbying groups gave more than $1 million last year to the dark-money...
Oct 20, 20212 min
Man behind ‘ghost’ candidate cash also led dark-money group supporting Florida utility companies
The same man who led a dark-money group supporting spoiler “ghost” candidates in key state Senate races last year also led another...
Sep 9, 20212 min
Dems gave $700K to dark-money group that helped Republicans win races in ‘ghost’ candidate scandal
The dark-money nonprofit that worked with Republican strategists last year to promote spoiler independent candidates in important state...
Aug 26, 20212 min
Chair of dark-money group in Florida’s ‘ghost’ candidate scandal has ties to other secretive groups
The chairman of the dark-money group that provided more than half a million dollars in support of “ghost” candidates in last year’s...
Aug 5, 20212 min
Dark money behind Florida ‘ghost’ candidates has ties to Alabama political players, records suggest
The source of over half a million dollars spent last year promoting “ghost” candidates in key state Senate races remained a mystery even...
Jul 29, 20212 min
PACs behind ‘ghost’ candidates were run out of business lobbying group’s HQ, records show
Two political committees that spent more than half a million dollars promoting so-called “ghost” candidates in three important state...
Jun 17, 20211 min
Records link big business group to Florida elections probe
Investigators searching for the source of more than half-a-million dollars spent last year in support of spoiler candidates that helped...
Mar 31, 20211 min
JetBlue is avoiding nearly $1 million a year in local property taxes
JetBlue Airways Corp. has been improperly avoiding as much as $800,000 a year in property taxes, according to new Orange County Property...
Feb 21, 20213 min
CA$H COWS: Tavistock, Disney and others save millions through tax break meant to help Florida farmer
At the Drive Shack golfing center in Lake Nona, golf balls struck from the three-story driving range roll to a stop not far from a few...
Jan 19, 20212 min
A national 'tennis heaven' avoids $1 million a year in taxes by claiming a break meant for charities
The USTA National Campus at Lake Nona, a nearly $70 million “tennis heaven” with features like clay courts covered in crushed red brick...
Dec 10, 20202 min
A little-known tax district is steering millions to Orlando's tourism industry
Late last year, just before Orange County leaders approved a controversial plan to give up $125 million to Universal Orlando for a new...
Dec 1, 20202 min
Corporate giants like Target, Chevron and UPS exploit Florida's "separate reporting" tax system
One of the world’s biggest retailers, Target Corp. turned a more than $3 billion profit last year — and the company made a lot of its...
Nov 8, 20201 min
Cigarette giant gave $80,000 to secretive group now behind controversial constitutional amendment
Cigarette giant Reynolds American Inc. gave $80,000 in 2018 to the secretive group that now wants to make it harder to amend Florida’s...
Nov 7, 20201 min
Secretive group pushing Florida constitutional amendment raised money linked to big businesses
A secretive nonprofit financing a proposed constitutional amendment that would make it far harder to amend the state constitution in the...
Oct 4, 20202 min
Muscle Mouse: Walt Disney World's political spending swells
Originally published July 26, 2019 Walt Disney World is enormous in almost every way imaginable. The resort, built across 40 square miles...
Oct 4, 20202 min
Universal Orlando claims millions in tax breaks via program meant to help struggling neighborhoods
Originally published Feb. 2, 2013 For Universal Orlando, the opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in the summer of 2010 was...
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