The Tallahassee-based “Let’s Get to Work” committee, which is backing Gov. Rick Scott’s re-election effort, has posted $311,035 in contributions for October, bringing the year-to-date total to $13.56 million.
The October total is considerably lower than the $3.65 million collected in September.
The committee also spent $286,101 during October, of which $235,772 went to consulting, according to information posted on the committee
website.
The committee will play an important role in the 2014 gubernatorial campaign and has already started running TV ads criticizing Democratic candidate Charlie Crist, who formerly announced his long-speculated campaign Monday.
Scott, who spent more than $70 million of his own money in the 2010 gubernatorial contest, has said he will have $25 million in the bank by the end of the year that will be used “in early 2014 to define my opponent.”
More than half of the October contribution total, $175,000, is from Bayfront 2011 Development LLC, a Miami firm that is connected with casino giant Genting Group.
The Bayfront 2011 contribution comes as legislators prepare for a debate in 2014 on the future of gambling in Florida.
Since December 2012, Bayfront 2011 has pumped $325,000 into the fundraising committee.
As for the expenses, Forward Strategies, a Tallahassee political consulting firm run by Meredith O’Rourke, received the bulk of the October consulting work.
O’Rourke once raised campaign cash for Crist.
For the year, the committee has spent $1.49 million.