TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Rick Scott, who reportedly spent about $73 million of his own money to get elected in 2010, will soon dip into his personal wealth in an effort to retain the Governor's Mansion.
Scott will write a check to the Republican Party of Florida to assist his re-election effort against Democratic challenger Charlie Crist, Jackie Schutz, a spokeswoman for Scott's campaign, confirmed Wednesday.
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The Miami Herald reported earlier Wednesday that Scott told WFOR-TV news reporter Jim DeFede that he "will be investing" in the campaign. DeFede's report is scheduled to air Sunday. Schutz wouldn't say how much the check would total. But Schutz added in an email that the governor told DeFede that the money is "a small fraction of our total campaign" and will be used to "counteract the smear campaign from Charlie's radical left-wing guy from California."
NextGen Climate Action Committee-Florida, founded by California billionaire Tom Steyer, has spent at least $9.44 million on such things as advertising, mail pieces and grassroots efforts that target Scott because of the governor's views on climate change.
Scott was worth $132.7 million as of Dec. 13, 2013, according to his annual financial disclosure filed with the Department of State.
The amount of Scott's check may not be known until Oct. 31, when the Republican Party is next required to file a finance report. The Crowley Political Report last week posted that Republican Party sources claimed Scott would put about $20 million into the campaign.