On Tuesday, the NBA’s Orlando Magic made headlines after they donated $50,000 to Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Super PAC. On Wednesday, the team attempted to explain that donation away, but people are furious at what they’re trying to pass off.
The San Francisco Gate brought the Magic’s sizable donation to DeSantis to life while the Florida Governor runs his presidential campaign. Although he’s polling at 17 percent, that low number did not steer chairman Dan DeVos away from donating to DeSantis.
But now, according to a statement made by the Magic, the team claims they didn’t donate to support his presidential campaign. Instead, according to Judd Legum, by way of a statement from Magic CCO Joel Glass, it’s for a different reason. “The continued prosperity of Central Florida.”
“To clarify, this gift was given before Governor 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,” the team said in a statement.
Now, that’s not quite how it works. The Super PAC, as Legum explained, was created “EXCLUSIVELY to support DeSantis’ presidential campaign.” That is typically how Super PACs work, and just any government officials don’t run them.
So the fact that people, in large numbers, took issue with the Magic’s statement and donation to Ron DeSantis’ campaign wasn’t a surprise.
“We’re not donating to a presidential candidate’s POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE because we support his POLITICAL CAMPAIGN.” https://t.co/o74DDp1wCm
— Striggity (@35mmPapi) August 2, 2023
jonathan isaac gonna ask for a trade if they dont stand on it https://t.co/EG3nXPzmjn
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(@andrejgee) August 2, 2023
As a huge @OrlandoMagic fan, this is so embarrassing. Please stop the DeVos family from doing this shady stuff and stop lying to us https://t.co/RZJu8jjE52
— Chris Garlock (@cdgarlock) August 2, 2023
Yeah, no, that's not how this works.
But we know to root against the Magic from now on. https://t.co/XSqLKgqTjE
— Aji Wings is @ajijaakwe.bsky.social (@Ajijaakwe) August 2, 2023
Wishing 50 more years of losing seasons to them https://t.co/VpWFL7j9jy
— JLM… FREE PALESTINE (@respawnsin3days) August 2, 2023
Now I have an NBA team to actively root against. https://t.co/t43QDdYelu
— Greg Pinelo (@gregpinelo) August 2, 2023
This doesn't clear anything up at all. Was it the attacks on Disney? Non-masking? The highest inflation rate in the country? https://t.co/3wOVhYsV9l
— Mark Kawada (@Mark_Kawada) August 2, 2023
What this really means is “we paid a bribe so that the Governor wouldn’t penalize us for free speech.” https://t.co/5nAuv2cvRJ
— Daniel (@BamaMan4Change) August 2, 2023
No one believes that. The person that sent that message probably couldn't keep a straight face.
If you want to support "the continued prosperity of Central Florida" then you give that money to charitable groups that help to do that, not PACs that literally do the opposite. https://t.co/YrRUv7rKKf
— #MedicareforAllNOW (@JBoy02) August 2, 2023
It doesn’t sound like the Magic are fooling many people right now.