Florida Republican dupes seniors with Trump-, DeSantis-themed emails

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Erick Aguilar is not Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis. He just wants you to think he is.

In his pursuit of Florida's 4th Congressional District, Aguilar has used WinRed, a popular platform Republicans employ to process campaign contributions, to send a flurry of fundraising emails. But the solicitations did not mention Aguilar’s campaign or his leading competitor in the Aug. 23 primary, state Sen. Aaron Bean, who has the support of much of the state's GOP establishment.

Instead, the messages were written in a way that suggested donations would actually go toward more prominent GOP politicians, including the former president, the governor or Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan.

“Governor DeSantis is always fighting back against Corrupt Left,” read one email that came under a logo using DeSantis’ name. “No matter how bad this country is the Fake News media and Biden Admin are OBSESSED with that [sic] Florida is doing.”

It added: “It is time to help America’s #1 Governor. Can we count on you to support DeSantis?”

The move appeared to have worked — particularly among retired older donors from across the country. Some of Aguilar's WinRed emails, such as the one about DeSantis, went out in November, just before the Jacksonville-based candidate's campaign saw nearly 16 times as much cash come in in December, campaign finance records show. Yet some of the people who sent contributions had no idea they were giving to Aguilar.

“I don’t know that name,” Pat Medford, an 88-year-old from Minnesota, said in an interview when asked about her donations to Aguilar. “I, of course, give to President Trump and DeSantis, but that’s really it. I don’t give to many others, and that name [Aguilar] is not familiar to me.”

Despite not knowing him, records show Medford gave 30 separate contributions to Aguilar's campaign through WinRed, totaling more than $1,000.

WinRed found the emails misleading and, in an email to POLITICO this week, said Aguilar has been banned from using its service.

“This account intentionally misled people by pretending to be, among other groups, Donald Trump, Ron Desantis and Jim Jordan," a WinRed spokesperson said in a statement disclosing the suspension. "WinRed won't let that happen, so several months ago we took action by shutting it down."

Aguilar's campaign declined to comment for this article. DeSantis' campaign did not respond to a request for comment. Neither did spokespeople for Trump nor Jordan.

Aguilar raised just $15,000 in a 2020 bid for Congress, but has already reported raising $1 million for his 2022 race. Of that, three personal loans total $405,200, according to campaign finance reports. He has not yet filed his candidate financial disclosure report, so it's unclear where the loans originate. Aguilar lists another $219,326 in unitemized contributions, and $398,553 in itemized contributions, a majority of which are small-dollar contributions from out-of-state donors, typically the kind of money raised through a platform like WinRed.

Of the itemized contributions, more than 95 percent are from those who list an occupation of "retired," records show.

POLITICO contacted more than a dozen out-of-state donors listed as giving multiple contributions to Aguilar’s campaign, and a few who responded said they didn’t know who he was or why their money ended up in his campaign coffers.

“I have not made one to him,” said Donna Dalelio, a Virginia retiree who is listed as giving 30 contributions — some as recently as March — to Aguilar through WinRed totaling more than $700. “I would have given to President Trump, but that’s not one I recognize.”

Tena Carter, a business owner in Wilmot, Ark., said in an interview that she is a big supporter of DeSantis and is “impressed with all the things he has done” in Florida. But she made contributions Aguilar's campaign through WinRed without any intention of doing so, even though campaign finance records show she has given nearly $500 to his campaign in 20 separate increments.

“That’s kind of concerning,” she said. “I had no paperwork on him [Aguilar], or anything like that.”

Another batch of Aguilar's emails look like they came from Trump and said the former president was leaving WinRed because “I have been at War with Big Tech!”

The email added: “Chip in $5 to Help President Trump CRUSH his monthly goal!”

Neither the DeSantis- nor the Trump-themed emails made mention of Aguilar, a businessman and Navy veteran, or that money sent from them would go to his campaign. Trump nor Jordan have endorsed a candidate in the primary for Florida's 4th Congressional District.

The emails claiming Trump was leaving the platform are what prompted an investigation into Aguilar by WinRed, according to two people familiar with the issue.

DeSantis has not formally endorsed Bean, but the two are seen as allies and Bean pushed legislation championed by DeSantis during the 2022 legislative session. Aguilar ran for the same congressional seat in 2020, but was easily defeated in the GOP primary by Republican Rep. John Rutherford, who got 80 percent of the vote. Because of redistricting, Rutherford is in a new seat, leaving Bean, Aguilar and a handful of other candidates running in an open seat that is heavily Republican.

On Twitter, Aguilar on multiple occasions has bragged about the number of small-dollar contributions he has raised compared to his opponents.

“A little campaign info. I am running against a half of a dozen opponents and not one has raised a penny from a single person," he tweeted on May 31.

“I have $575,000 from small donors,” he continued. “We must drain the swamp!”