On Friday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis kept two of his major political donors on the University of Florida's (UF) Board of Trustees, according to The Independent Florida Alligator, the school's student newspaper.
Newsweek reached out to DeSantis' office via email for comment Saturday afternoon.
Why It Matters
Members of the UF Board of Trustees hold immense power over the university. The board sets school policy and serves as the university's legal owner and final authority.
Additionally, the board "holds the institution's resources in trust and is responsible for their efficient and effective use," a blurb about the board on the school's website reads.
The governor gets to appoint six of the 13 trustees on the board while the state university system's Board of Governors gets to appoint five trustees. The other two trustees are appointed by UF's student body president and Faculty Senate chair.
What To Know
DeSantis reappointed lawyers and UF alumni Rahul Patel and Richard Cole to the board on Friday, according to a press release from the governor's office.
Who Are Rahul Patel and Richard Cole?
Patel is a partner at King and Spalding, an international corporate law firm. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from UF. Patel was first appointed to the board in 2015 by former Florida Governor Rick Scott and has served as the board's vice chair since 2023, The Independent Florida Alligator reported in an article published Saturday titled, "DeSantis reappoints two political donors to UF Board of Trustees amid presidential search."
Cole is a managing partner of Cole, Scott & Kissane, P.A., Florida's largest full-service civil litigation firm. He also received his undergraduate and law degrees from UF. DeSantis first appointed Cole to the board in 2020, according to The Independent Florida Alligator report.
How Much Have They Donated to Ron DeSantis?
Patel donated $70,000 to DeSantis' gubernatorial campaigns and $175,000 to the pro-DeSantis political action committee Empower Parents PAC, the school newspaper reported.
DeSantis was first elected governor in 2018 and then won reelection by a landslide in 2022.
Cole donated $132,500 to DeSantis' gubernatorial campaigns, $130,000 to Empower Parents PAC and $100,000 to Never Back Down, according to The Independent Florida Alligator.
Never Back Down is a super PAC that supported DeSantis' failed bid to be the 2024 Republican presidential nominee. President-elect Donald Trump easily won the GOP primary and then won the general election against Vice President Kamala Harris.
Newsweek reached out to Patel and Cole's law offices via online form for comment Saturday afternoon about their donations.
What Happens Next
Patel and Cole's reappointments, which are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate, are effective January 7.
Meanwhile, UF is currently looking for a new president with Patel leading the search. The board will be in charge of making the final selection for the next UF president.
Two other trustees appointed by DeSantis, business lawyer Fred Ridley and InterTech Group CEO Anita Zucker, have their terms ending on Monday. It has yet to be seen if they will be reappointed.
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