On July 16, 2024, new reporting from Axios Tampa exposed Rick Scott for refusing to return more than $85K from a donor accused of stealing $100 million from a trust fund for people with special needs. Scott only acknowledged the contributions after Axios inquired and refused to return the full amount. 

Click here to read the story. See key excerpts below: 

- Months after fraud allegations against Leo Joseph Govoni came to light, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott hasn’t returned tens of thousands the Pinellas businessman donated to support his campaign, federal election records show.

- Thousands of families watched their money evaporate after entrusting it to Govoni’s nonprofit, which managed trust funds for vulnerable people, according to court records.

- Axios asked Scott in late June why he hadn’t returned Govoni’s contributions to his fundraising committees, which totaled at least $85,000.

- He [Scott’s campaign spokesperson] declined repeated requests for specifics about when and where the money was donated. FEC filings released Monday show that Scott’s campaign donated only $15,800 to a foundation for those with disabilities - the day after Axios inquired about the money.

- Govoni is accused in court filings of loaning himself $100 million from the nonprofit between 2009 and 2020, money the organization’s new management says he never repaid. His Center for Special Needs Trust Administration filed for bankruptcy in February.