The Orlando Magic basketball team recently donated $50,000 to Never Back Down Inc., a super PAC that supports Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in his pursuit of the Republican presidential nomination. The Federal Election Commission’s website indicates that the donation was received on June 26, 2023. However, a representative of the team claims that the donation was actually made on May 19, just days before DeSantis officially announced his bid for president on May 24.
Joel Glass, the chief communications officer for the NBA team, clarified the timing of the donation, stating, “To clarify, this gift was given before Gov. DeSantis entered the presidential race. It was given as a Florida business in support of a Florida governor for the continued prosperity of Central Florida.”
Never Back Down Inc., the super PAC in question, is solely dedicated to supporting DeSantis’ presidential campaign, as stated on its website. A representative from Never Back Down did not respond immediately to HuffPost’s request for comment.
The Orlando Magic has a history of making donations, as evidenced by FEC records. In May 2016, the team donated $500 to Conservative Results. In August 2014, they reportedly donated $2,000 to Maverick PAC USA, a conservative political action committee. Additionally, in 2000, the team donated $500 to support Democrat Linda Chapin’s unsuccessful run for Congress.
The Orlando Magic is owned by the DeVos family, who are the in-laws of former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, known for her tenure in Donald Trump’s Cabinet. The current chair of the franchise is Dan DeVos, Betsy DeVos’ brother-in-law, who, according to USA Today’s 2020 report, is the third-largest contributor to political causes among all sports team owners. The Orlando Magic also has ties to the Disney Co., which has been involved in a legal dispute with DeSantis over the state’s anti-LGBTQ laws. Despite this, the team has hosted public events in support of the LGBTQ community. The ongoing disagreement between Disney and DeSantis arose when Disney voiced opposition to the governor’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, alleging politically motivated retaliation.
In response to the news of the team’s donation to DeSantis, former state Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith (D) tweeted, “The @OrlandoMagic needs to pick a side. You can’t have Pride Night and claim to celebrate and support the LGBTQ community, and then donate $50,000 to a presidential candidate running against the LGBTQ community and promoting a platform to take away our rights.”