MAGA firebrand clobbered by lawsuit accusing him of 'stiffing' debate champion

A MAGA firebrand in Florida has been accused of defrauding a high school debate champion over scholarship money his company promised her, according to a new report.

James Fishback, who is running for governor in Florida, has been accused of defrauding Briana Whatley, a current sophomore at Florida State University and a high school debate champion, out of $8,000 of an $11,000 scholarship she won after competing in a debate competition hosted by Incubate Foundation Inc., a company controlled by Fishback. The lawsuit claims that Fishback acknowledged that he "dropped the ball" in paying Whatley, and noted that he previously asked for her bank information and sent her $3,000 via Zelle, according to a report from The Guardian.

Whatley argued in the lawsuit that Fishback “personally evaded and defrauded [her] by initially ignoring communications, later blaming a terminated employee for the written award terms, falsely claiming an unwritten ‘installment policy,’ and delaying payment for months," according to the outlet's reporting.

Fishback did not respond to The Guardian's request for comment ahead of publication. He is facing off against former Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), another MAGA firebrand, and Jay Collins, the lieutenant governor of Florida, in a heated primary election scheduled for August 18.