Republican megadonor and billionaire Thomas Peterffy has announced that he will no longer financially support Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' potential presidential bid. This decision comes in light of the governor's recent book bans, anti-abortion stances, and controversial legislation.
Peterffy, chairman of the brokerage firm Interactive Brokers, previously donated $200,000 to DeSantis' 2018 gubernatorial campaign. While initially on board with DeSantas in his battle against Disney and supporting some of his policies, Peterfy has expressed concerns about the governor losing "momentum" after signing into law the Stop Woke Act and Don't Say Gay Act in 2022.
"Thomas Peterffy is alarmed by Governor DeSantis' stance on abortion and book bans," said an insider close to the situation. "He had a conversation with a bunch of friends who are also holding their powder dry due to these issues."
In addition to suspending donations toward DeSantis' potential presidential campaign, Peterffy stated that if former President Donald Trump were to become the GOP nominee again, he would vote for him despite wishing for a fresh face within the party.
On Thursday night, Gov. Ron De Santis quietly signed Florida Republicans’ restrictive six-week abortion ban into law while simultaneously banning Black history courses and books from being taught or distributed within schools across Florida.
A spokesperson for Governor Ron DeSantis has not responded to requests for comment regarding Thomas Peterffy's withdrawal of financial support at this time.