A political action committee has been ordered to stop implying a local congressional candidate has President Trump’s support in the upcoming GOP primary.
Lake County Commissioner Anthony Sabatini is running to succeed U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster, who recently announced he would be retiring.
Advance Liberty PAC is supporting Sabatini’s candidacy and recently sent out a campaign mailer with a photo of Trump and Sabatini. The flyer calls Sabatini “the Trump Choice for Congress.”
The mailer apparently came to the attention of the Dhillon Law Group in Alexandria, Va., which represents Trump and Never Surrender Inc., Trump’s leadership PAC. The letter ordered Advance Liberty PAC to stop using Trump’s likeness in its campaign materials.
The letter contends that the mailer “uses President Trump’s name and image in a manner clearly intended to give voters the false impression that President Trump has endorsed Mr. Sabatini, that President Trump supports Mr. Sabatini’s candidacy or that Mr. Sabatini’s campaign has President Trump’s approval — none of which is the case.”
Trump’s endorsement has been pivotal in the past. In 2024, Sabatini launched an insurgent challenge against Webster, but Sabatini gave up the fight when Trump announced he would be endorsing Webster.
In addition, Sabatini has refused to resign from his Lake County Commission seat, as required by Florida’s resign-to-run law.
A race for the coveted congressional seat seems to be shaping up between Sabatini and former state legislator Carey Baker, who is also a former Lake County property appraiser.