Rick Scott’s super PAC funded in part by big sugar interests

A federal Super PAC backing Rick Scott’s candidacy for reelection, which last week aired an ad in the Orlando television market in both English and Spanish, has received major contributions from the sugar industry in Florida.

U.S. Sugar Corp. has contributed $525,000 to Project Rescue America in the past 13 months, and Florida Crystals Corp. made a one-time donation of $250,000 to the PAC in February, according to FEC records. The second quarter filing showed that the PAC has raised more than $6 million for the Naples Republican since it was created in April.

It’s not exactly breaking news that the sugar industry carries considerable influence in Florida politics, as the companies have been major contributors to the state’s politicos over the decades. That’s despite the fact that when he was a neophyte candidate for governor in the Sunshine State 14 years ago, Scott blasted his GOP primary opponent, Bill McCollum, for accepting contributions from the industry.

“He’s owned by U.S. Sugar,” the Orlando Sentinel quoted Scott saying of McCollum. “They’ve given him nearly a million dollars for his campaign. And it’s disgusting.”

Scott soon got over it, accepting more than $1 million in contributions from “Big Sugar” for his former political committee, Let’s Get to Work.

The money U.S. Sugar has contributed to Scott’s super PAC represents by far the most significant expenditure the company has given to any candidate this election cycle, according to Open Secrets.

The company also contributed $7,500 to Polk County Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Franklin, $5,021 to GOP incumbent U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, $5,000 to Central Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster, and $2,500 to former Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolous, now running in the open Eighth Congressional District seat vacated by Republican Bill Posey earlier this year.

Crop burning

Last year, a federal court ruled against U.S. Sugar, Okeelanta Corp. (which does business as Florida Crystals), and the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida after they filed a lawsuit in 2021 against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over the design and intended use of the Everglades Agriculture Area Reservoir, a decision hailed as a “win for Everglades restoration” by environmental groups. The companies are appealing the decision.

The Sierra Club has engaged in a “stop the burn” campaign pushing the sugar industry in South Florida to end daily burning of sugarcane fields at harvest time in low-income communities south of Lake Okeechobee known as the Glades.

Florida State University researchers published a report finding that between one and six people die each year because of health complications brought on by the crop burns. U.S. Sugar has said the process is “strictly regulated and well controlled through the Florida Forest Service.”

Regarding the fundraising, Rick Scott has proven in the past to spend whatever it takes from his own bank account to fund his campaigns. He’s put more than $14 million of his own money into his campaign, with more likely to come.

In his 2018 squeaker of a contest against then-Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson, Scott spent more than $63 million of his largesse. Scott has raised more than $30 million in his campaign account but had just a little under $4 million at the end of July.

Mucarsel-Powell had raised $14.3 million as of the end of July and had $4.3 million cash-on-hand.

Scott has consistently led Mucarsel-Powell in public opinion polls. The most recent survey, conducted by Redfield & Wilton Strategies for The Telegraph, shows Scott with a three-point lead, 44%-41%. The best survey for Mucarsel-Powell came from Emerson College last week, showing Scott with a one-point lead, 46%-45%.

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