Who Are the "Friends of Mike Rahn"?

Mike Rahn is an incumbent Manatee County Commissioner who is running for re-election. He chairs his political committee “Friends of Mike Rahn”, which is funding mailers and other messaging to benefit his re-election.

When I ran as an independent for the Sarasota County Commission in 2010, candidates were warned not to coordinate their efforts with a political committee. Today, Florida candidates are chairing political committees which function as slush funds to get them elected. These candidate-led political committees accept unlimited amounts of funding from “anonymous” donors.

By using the “Friends of (fill in the blank)” political committee model, Florida politicians are bypassing campaign finance restrictions. Donors can put as much money as they want into a political committee (aka PAC). There are zero restrictions on how much a donor, corporate entity or other funding source can give to a Florida PAC. With the PAC “Friends of Mike Rahn”, following the money trail reveals links to other PACs funded by anonymous LLCs, local developers (Benderson, Schroeder Manatee Ranch, Pat Neal), and a fellow “Friends of” PAC chaired by Rahn’s Suncoast Builder’s Association Colleague, and Sarasota County Commissioner, Teresa Mast.

Friends of Teresa Mast

”Friends of Teresa Mast” gave $30,000 to “The Committee for Justice, Transportation and Business”, a donor PAC to “Friends of Mike Rahn”.

Sarasota and Manatee County voters may recall the whistleblower complaint filed by Deputy and then Acting Manatee County Adminstrator Lee Washington on June 15, 2023. Washington alleged that Mike Rahn and Vanessa Baugh (both Manatee County Commissioners at that time) violated Florida’s Sunshine Law by meeting with Lee and attempting to convince him to install Jon Mast, Teresa Mast’s husband, as interim Manatee County Administrator.

Washington resigned his position with Manatee County in August 2023 and due to his departure Washington withdrew his complaint, but he stood by his account of events.

Professional Ties - the Masts, Rahn, Baugh, Ballard - and others

Mike Rahn, Jon Mast, and Teresa Mast all serve as leaders of the Suncoast Builders Association (formerly the Manatee Sarasota Building Industry Association). In 2024, Vanessa Baugh’s husband, Don Baugh, also served on their Board. Jon Mast was and is the CEO of this organization under both names.

Manatee County Commissioner Amanda Ballard’s husband, David Ballard, served as Government Affairs and Membership Director for the organization when it was known as BIA (Manatee Sarasota Building Industry Association).

The group changed its name to Suncoast Builders Association in January 2024. Negative publicity surrounding the Baugh/Rahn sunshine whistleblower complaint may have provided motivation for the name change.

Amanda Ballard is also running for re-election to her current role as Manatee County Commissioner.
All of these connections serve to demonstrate how embedded building interests are in our local government. In addition to those already mentioned, there are other SBA officers that Sarasota and Manatee residents may recognize. Former Sarasota County Commissioner Al Maio, former appointed Sarasota County Commissioner and unsuccessful candidate Neil Rainford, builders Lee Wetherington and Michael Neal (son of Pat Neal) also hold positions in SBA leadership.

Stopping Harmful Overdevelopment?

As a leader of the Florida Home Builders Association, in 2005 Mike Rhan was quoted in the Jacksonville Daily Record, “My job is to serve builders and help them fight for what’s best for our industry,” Rahn explained. “Whether that involves fighting impact fees or inclusionary zoning, or working to make housing more affordable, I want the builders to know that the associate members are on the front lines with them.”

What “front lines” is Rahn referring to? Twisting the arms of elected officials to cave to his industry’s demands?

Manatee voters need to assess how successful Mike Rahn has been in the past 21 years in providing their community with affordable housing. Mike Rahn has had more than two decades to make good on that promise as a building industry leader and a County Commissioner.

Anyone can claim they are against overdevelopment, as Rahn does in this mailer that his PAC funded, below. Doesn’t look like Rahn has been very successful in stopping overdevelopment, and he’s had more than twenty years to do it. He was clear in 2005 that his job was working for builders.

Florida Country

Sarasota County voters may recognize the PAC “Florida Country”. This PAC has been active since February 2020. Its first effort was supporting incumbent County Commissioner Mike Moran, who was challenged by grassroots County Commission candidate Mike Hutchinson in the 2020 GOP primary.

Hutchinson leads “Keep the Country Country”. The group is focused on stopping overdevelopment in Myakka, a rural area which includes both Sarasota and Manatee County lands.

The name “Florida Country” likely was chosen to mislead voters into thinking that Moran was protecting rural land. Moran was a solid “yes” vote for overdevelopment.

In 2024, Florida Country supported Teresa Mast’s campaign for the Sarasota County Commission.

Donors to Florida Country include developers and their associates, like Carlos Beruff, Rex Jensen, Randy Benderson, Pat Neal, attorneys Bo Medred and Bill Merrill.

Ramba Law Group gave “Florida Country” $30,000 on June 26, 2026. It is the PACs only contribution since the 2024 election cycle.

David Ramba, who is the treasurer and registered agent for “Friends of Mike Rahn”, is also the principal behind Ramba Law Group. It is unusual to see a PAC treasurer have their business firm give money to a PAC. I have seen it before, though. For instance, Eric Robinson’s accounting firm has given to PACs. Donations like these prove that some PAC managers are also interested parties. Ramba is a donor as well as a PAC treasurer.

David Ramba is the treasurer for “Friends of Mike Rahn”. Ramba is treasurer for all of the PACs that have given directly to “Friends of Mike Rahn”. The only PACs in the “Friends of Mike Rahn” diagram that Ramba does not administer are “Make America Great Again” (Eric Robinson treasurer) and Florida Country (Noreen Fenner treasurer).

Propel Florida

Propel Florida is an LLC incorporated in Florida which has no actual human being named as an officer. At the time of this writing Propel Florida has given nearly 4.2 million dollars to feeder PACs flipping dollars into “Friends of Mike Rahn”. The magnitude of the donations and the complete anonymity provided by Propel Florida to those actually behind the funding show how corrupt Florida’s campaign finance system is. I expect David Ramba likely knows who is funding Propel Florida, since at three of his PACs giving to his “Friends of Mike Rahn” PAC have received major contributions from Propel Florida.

It’s a safe bet that David Ramba knows who is funding Propel Florida, but Florida voters don’t.

Florida’s political committee funding procedures, along with their acceptance of funds from anonymous LLCs - all of it keeps voters in the dark about who is influencing their vote. It’s a system designed to serve donors, not voters.

Conservative Leadership Committee - not a PAC, but listed as a PAC

Conservative Leadership Committee is registered on Sunbiz as a corporation with the address 115 E PARK AVE SUITE 1, TALLAHASSEE, FL 32301. There are dozens of political committees with this same address listed on MyFlorida.com. Many are affiliated with PAC treasurer William Stafford Jones and Tallahassee attorney Richard Coates.

In all of the contributions from Conservative Leadership Committee that I have seen, this entity is characterized as a political committee. But Conservative Leadership Committee is not registered as a political committee on MyFlorida.com. In Florida, PAC managers can list an entity as a political committee when it is not registered as a political committee. The state does nothing to stop this.

But I found some clarification in one PAC’s paperwork. Conservative Leadership Committee is characterized as “DBA” (doing business as) the political committee “Conservatives” in the text file download of one political committee filing. That PAC - Sun Coast Alliance - was unsuccessful in their effort to convince voters in Sarasota County to overturn single member districts in 2022.

The political committee “Conservatives” has received $2,250,000 in funding from Pat Neal. In this way, Conservative Leadership Committee can be considered a tool to conceal how Pat Neal’s “Conservatives” contributions are distributed to other PACs.

All of Mike Rahn’s Funding Friends may not be clear until well after the August 18th election.

A few weeks ago, when I looked at the contributions and expenditures for Mike Rahn’s “Friends of” PAC, and began putting a PAC flow chart together, a few mailers had been sent out. Only two PACs contributed to Rahn’s PAC.

The financial reports didn’t show any expenditures for mailers, and only two contributions were listed.

The appearance of the PAC “Citizens for Principled Leadership” as a donor to “Friends of Mike Rahn” added another dimension to the “Friends of” funding picture. The “Citizens” PAC shared a noteworthy funding source with “The Committee for Justice, Transportation and Business” : a PAC called “Strong Communities of Southwest Florida”. A closer look at these committees showed a magnified role for the anonymous “Propel Florida” and “Conservative Leadership Committee”.

PAC Financial reporting often lags behind actual PAC donations and spending. If a PAC officer or donor wants to ensure PAC activity is concealed until after the election, scheduling expenditures or contributions so they appear in PAC financial reports submitted after the election is an option. In Sarasota County, important PAC donations have been concealed from voters due to late reporting.

It’s one more way that voters are kept in the dark.

Friends of Bridget Ziegler & the donation that showed up after the election A corporate charter school development company donated $2500 to “Friends of Bridget Ziegler” about a week before the August 2022 election. Bridget Ziegler chaired her “Friends of” PAC, and she certainly had an interest in concealing the donation tied to the corporate charter school industry. Financial report timing didn’t make this donation public until after Ziegler’s August 2022 race.

Neighbors for a Better Sarasota & the donation that showed up after the election
The same situation occurred when a Federal PAC contributed to “Neighbors for a Better Sarasota”, a PAC started by candidate Carl Schoffstall in support of his 2022 run for the Sarasota City Commission.

One week before the August 2022 election, Schoffstall’s PAC received a $4900 contribution from Federal PAC “West Coast Citizens Alliance”. The Federal PAC treasurer is Heidi Brandt, who is now running for Sarasota County School Board. The PAC address is Brandt’s home address. The timing of Brandt’s PAC donation ensured that it would not be known to the public until after Shoffstall’s race was decided.

Someone thinking of running for office (Brandt), or a corporate donor which would clearly raise red flags for voters (like a corporate charter school developer) - they may make their donation toward the end of a race so the public and media won’t be able to see it until the race is over.

PACS often operate outside their lane, without consequence
Federal PACs are not supposed to be contributing to State PACs (or County or City PACs). PACs active on the local level are supposed to be registered locally.

PACs active in a City or County race are supposed to be registered with the municipality or County, not the state. This way, it is easier for voters to check up on PAC activity in local elections. Voters can just go to their local Supervisor of Elections or City Clerk website. Voters can’t do that if the PAC is a Federal or State PAC, and those websites are more complex to navigate.

In Florida, a PAC can get around local registration requirements by saying the PAC intends to be active in State elections. The state registered “Neighbors for a Better Sarasota” closed up shop after Schoffstall’s Sarasota City Commission run. The PAC was registered with the state but was never active in an election outside of Schoffstall’s City Commission race.

Again, the State of Florida allows PACs that are active in local elections to register with the State as long as they state they “intend” to be active across the State. Importantly there is no penalty to the PAC officers or donors if that State activity never materializes. It’s one more example of how Florida’s PAC system works against voters.

The full donor picture for the “Friends of Mike Rahn” August election activity may not be clear until October or later. Far too late to be useful information for voters.

Cui Bono? Who Benefits?

It’s a safe bet that while voters don’t know who is funding these “Friends of” PACs, the candidates who chair them do.

I expect Mr. Rahn knows who is funding his PAC and what they want.

And when those donors want something, it’s another safe bet that a successful candidate who becomes a public official will give these donors what they ask for. After all, a flush slush fund is a big help to get elected. When the donors are hidden from voters, and known to the candidate, the system is rigged against the public.

Voters - think twice about candidates who chair their own PACs. Legalized corruption is still corruption.

Cathy Antunes is a longtime independent journalist and community activist focusing on Sarasota and Manatee Counties. This article originally appeared in her Substack column, The Detail by Cathy Antunes. Click here to subscribe and get The Detail sent to your inbox.