Never Back Down tested limits of super PACs. Will it become a cautionary tale?

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) rode into 2023 on the heels of an electoral landslide and with enormous financial backing for a potential presidential run.

At the end of the year, his support is down by nearly two-thirds, donors are holding their fire or looking elsewhere, and he is making headlines for internal headaches plaguing his campaign, namely with the embattled Never Back Down PAC.

Super political action committees became a major force in the wake of a 2010 court decision that liberalized laws related to campaign contributions. They can accept unlimited donations from individuals, corporations, and associations but are still legally required to operate separately from political campaigns.

DeSantis tested the limits of that distance by incorporating his presidential campaign, which launched in May, closely with Never Back Down PAC. But in recent weeks, six of the PAC leaders have resigned, and its chief strategist left following a Washington Post expose that detailed internal fighting and finger pointing as the campaign sputtered.