DeSantis, delayed: GOP presidential hopeful wants 'additional time' to reveal his personal finances

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis requested — and the Federal Election Commission granted — more time for the newly minted presidential candidate to reveal details about his personal finances.

“We are requesting an extension to file Governor DeSantis' financial disclosure until July 1, 2023. The Governor has a financial disclosure due to the Florida Commission on Ethics on July 1, 2023 and the additional time will help ensure accuracy and consistency,” said a letter from Charlie Spies of Dickinson Wright PLLC, who is counsel for the governor and the DeSantis for President campaign.

Lisa J. Stevenson, acting general counsel at the FEC, granted him a 17-day extension through July 1, according to a June 6 letter.

At least as of last year, DeSantis wasn't known for his wealth — more so, his relative lack of it, especially when compared to his main presidential campaign foil, billionaire former President Donald Trump.

In 2022, DeSantis’ net worth was less than $319,000. He still had student loan debt, and he didn’t own property, according to Insider, citing Florida disclosure records.

Any spike in DeSantis’ wealth during the past year, when his national profile increased significantly as he breezed through a pricey re-election campaign and weighed whether to run for president amid fights with Walt Disney Co., would be notable.

DeSantis and Trump are two among a dozen candidates who have entered the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, which is expected to grow today with former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s announcement of his candidacy.

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DeSantis joins several other members of a growing field of presidential candidates who requested extensions to file public financial disclosures, including Trump, environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr., former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and author Marianne Williamson, according to a Raw Story analysis of FEC records.

President Joe Biden, who announced his reelection campaign last month, submitted his disclosure report, and Republican candidate Nikki Haley also filed her disclosure on time, revealing the millions of dollars she earns from speaking engagements, consulting fees and revenue from her own company.

Such disclosures require presidential candidates to reveal details about their income, assets, stock trades, royalties, debts and certain contractual agreements, such as book deals with publishing houses.

DeSantis announced his presidential candidacy on May 15 and officially filed registration paperwork with the FEC on May 24. DeSantis initially had 30 days to file a public financial disclosure report with the federal government.