(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) The Campaign Legal Center, a Washington, D.C.-based watchdog group, filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging that Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has been using a China-linked online flower-bouquet company to secretly fund his presidential campaign, the Miami New Times reported.
Suarez, a Republican, recently announced that he had met the fundraising minimum to take part in the first Republican primary debate.
But it now appears that his fundraising sources may be of questionable legitimacy.
According to the watchdog’s report, PassionForest LLC—an online company that sells fake flower bouquets—made a $500,000 contribution to Suarez’s political action committee, the SOS America PAC in October 2022.
Oddly enough, PassionForest LLC’s bouquet production seems to have almost entirely ceased, with only two of their 21 products being in stock on Amazon.
CLC founder Trevor Potter noted that the donation amount of half a million dollars should raise alarms.
“It is highly improbable that PassionForest garnered sufficient funds from selling artificial flowers online in its first eleven months of operation to make a $500,000 political contribution,” he wrote. “It is noteworthy that its artificial flower business appears to have shuttered around the time of the contribution.”
Making matters worse for Suarez, the watchdog group said that the flower shop may have been a front to cover for donations coming in from China.
The SOS America PAC, however, denied all allegations and played the race card.
“No surprise liberal special interests and their allies in the media are lobbing political attacks that are intended to undercut the only Hispanic Republican candidate,” the PAC wrote in a statement.
“His candidacy worries them because of his strong record as a successful conservative who attracts broad support,” the statement continued. “It is our understanding that the complaint makes no accusations whatsoever against SOS America PAC or the Mayor.”
