A flurry of political checks were written to Gov. Ron DeSantis at the time of two recent visits to The Villages.
The governor was in The Villages on Aug. 25 when he announced the opening of a monoclonal antibody treatment site at the Barnstorm Theater at Brownwood. He was back in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown exactly one week later on Sept. 1 when he and First Lady Casey DeSantis fielded questions in a town hall meeting at the Brownwood Hotel & Spa that was open only to those who held tickets.
Friends of Ron DeSantis, which bills itself as “a statewide political committee, to support and discuss Ron DeSantis in Florida,” picked up numerous checks from some big names and big businesses intimately linked to The Villages.
State Rep. Brett Hage, who earns $350,000 annually working for The Villages, wrote a $6,000 check on Aug. 23 to Friends of Ron DeSantis.
Mark Morse wrote a $9,000 check on Aug. 27 to Friends of Ron DeSantis. His sister Jennifer Parr wrote a $3,000 check the same day. Sister Tracy Morse Dadeo followed up Aug. 31 with a $3,000 check. Her daughter, Lindsey Blaise, who heads Citizens First Bank, also wrote a check to Friends of Ron DeSantis on Aug. 31. Blaise’s check was for $6,000.
Those who work for The Villages were also encouraged to reach for their checkbooks:
• Robert Chandler IV, The Villages Vice President for Development, wrote a $6,000 check to Friends of Ron DeSantis on Aug. 23. Chandler also sits on the powerful Village Center Community Development District Board and represents its interests on the Amenity Authority Committee.
• Dale Borrowman, whose Technology Solutions Group last year secured a no-bid $5.8 million technology support deal with Sumter County, wrote a $6,000 check on Aug. 27 to Friends of Ron DeSantis.
• Phil Markward, publisher of The Villages Daily Sun, wrote a $6,000 check Aug. 23 to Friends of Ron DeSantis.
• Martin Dzuro, who has been front and center in The Villages’ fight to build apartments at Spanish Springs Town Square and elsewhere, wrote a $3,000 check on Aug. 23 to Friends of Ron DeSantis. His wife Mary also wrote a $3,000 check that same day.
• Members of The Villages legal team also wrote checks to Friends of Ron DeSantis including a $6,000 check from general counsel Brian Hudson on Aug. 31; attorney Gary Fuchs wrote a $3,000 check on Aug. 27; and The Villages longtime lawyer Steve Roy wrote a $3,000 check that same day.
• Brian Sellers, development and construction manager for The Villages, wrote a $3,000 check on Aug. 23 to Friends of Ron DeSantis. Last year, he was in the news after he paid $1.4 million for the former home of Paige Boone in the Morse family compound.
• Gary Mark of The Villages Design Division on Aug. 23 wrote a $3,000 check to Friends of Ron DeSantis.
• Elliot Sussman, chairman of The Villages Health, on Aug. 27 wrote a $1,000 check to Friends of Ron DeSantis.
Several businesses also opened their checkbooks while DeSantis was in town:
• Rainey Construction wrote a $24,000 check on Aug. 27 to Friends of Ron DeSantis.
• DZ Block Inc. wrote a $6,000 check, DZ Concrete Inc. wrote a $12,000 check, and DZ Precast Solutions Inc. wrote a $6,000 check, all to Friends of Ron DeSantis. All three checks were cut on Aug. 27.
• ASG Solutions, a property maintenance company located on Bonita Boulevard, wrote a $6,000 check Aug. 23 to Friends of Ron DeSantis.
• Janet West, owner of Tenaj Salon Institute and Salon Jaylee locations in The Villages, wrote a $3,000 check Aug. 23 to Friends of Ron DeSantis. Her husband wrote a $3,000 check the same day. West is the daughter of John E. Parker, for whom the bridge over Lake Sumter has been named.
• MICO Customs Inc., a company tied to the husband of The Villages COO Kelsey Morse Manly, on Aug. 23 wrote a $3,000 check to Friends of Ron DeSantis.
• St. Luke’s at The Villages, which runs a laser and cataract institute at Lake Sumter Landing, wrote a $3,000 check on Aug. 31 to Friends of Ron DeSantis.
• Arnett Environmental LLC, an engineering firm headquartered at Lake Sumter Landing, which oversees water resources in The Villages, wrote a $3,000 check on Aug. 27 to Friends of Ron DeSantis.
• Architectural firm Agewave Solutions, headquartered at Colony Professional Plaza, wrote a $3,000 check Aug. 27 to Friends of Ron DeSantis.
• Five Star Landscaping & Irrigation wrote a $6,000 check Aug. 27 to Friends of Ron DeSantis.
