Lead strategist of pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down, Jeff Roe, has resigned in a bid to end distractions to the campaign. This follows internal chaos within the PAC and the creation of a new Tallahassee-based pro-DeSantis super PAC named Fight Right.
Amid this disorder, three top officials have already resigned from Never Back Down, with Mr. Roe being the latest. Never Back Down’s CEO Chris Jankowski and board chairman Adam Laxalt also resigned earlier.
In his resignation, Mr. Jankowski cited issues beyond strategic differences and was replaced by interim president Kristin Davison, who was then fired along with two other top officials.
Mr. Roe attributed his departure to comments made by the PAC’s new chairman, Scott Wagner, to The Washington Post, which were published in an article on Saturday about disagreements and turmoil between the super PAC and Mr. DeSantis’s inner circle. Never Back Down is independent of Mr. DeSantis’s campaign but has been a major financial supporter to date.
“Following mismanagement and conduct issues, including numerous unauthorized leaks containing false information, senior officials were terminated,” Mr. Wagner told The Post, to which a lawyer for the terminated employees responded, saying that the quote was “categorically false.”
Mr. Wagner then sent a revised statement to The Post acknowledging that there were opinions regarding mismanagement and conduct issues but maintaining that some senior officials parted ways.
In response, Mr. Roe posted, “I cannot in good conscience stay affiliated with Never Back Down given the statements in the Washington Post today,” taking aim at the super PAC’s new chairman. “They are not true and an unwanted distraction at a critical time for Governor DeSantis,” he added.
According to The Post, longtime DeSantis adviser Phil Cox will be stepping in as chief strategist at the PAC in the final weeks before the Iowa caucus.
Mr. Roe expressed pride in the team he helped build at Never Back Down, saying, “This is a team of political warriors and their grind and dedication over the last nine months has helped put Governor Ron DeSantis in a strong position.”
“Governor DeSantis has been an exceptional governor and I hope he will be the 47th President of the United States. I wish the Governor, First Lady, and their entire team the best through the rest of the campaign,” he said.
In response to news of the resignation, GOP frontrunner and former President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, saying, “Jeff Roe is out—GAME OVER for DeSanctimonious!”
The resignation of Jeff Roe from the pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down comes amid a period of internal disarray, with multiple top officials having resigned and amid clashes with the campaign’s inner circle. As the DeSantis campaign enters a critical phase, the impact of these developments remains to be seen.
