Grant Money Flowed Back to … Facebook Ad Sales

(Alexandria, VA) – May 12, 2021: The Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) today released a research brief detailing the nearly $16.5 million of  the Center for Tech and Civil Life (CTCL) grants accepted by Florida County supervisors of elections. Many of these grants arrived very late in the election cycle, resulting in over $4.6 million of leftover cash with the capability of affecting the 2022 elections. A breakdown of the grants by county is below.

Unlike other states, Florida records show a pattern of the late-arriving grants being shoved into digital media outreach campaigns, namely to the benefit of Facebook and Google ad sales departments. In detailed spending accounts disclosed to PILF, Palm Beach County promised to spend $250,000 on digital ads with Facebook, Google, and YouTube if granted the money per its “Safe Voting Plan.”

“Florida lawmakers were right to close the loophole in election law,” stated PILF President J. Christian Adams. “Corporate-funded elections violate some of the most basic principles of election integrity. It’s the job of local governments to budget for and administer our voting processes. I commend Governor DeSantis and all involved in helping to make Florida a leader against this threat.”

Access the full research brief, here.

Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) is a 501(c)(3) public interest law firm dedicated to election integrity. The Foundation exists to assist states and others to aid the cause of election integrity and fight against lawlessness in American elections. Drawing on numerous experts in the field, PILF seeks to protect the right to vote and preserve the Constitutional framework of American elections.

###