Jeff Roe, chief strategist for "Never Back Down" — the super PAC backing the presidential run of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — resigned from the group on Saturday night.
Roe is the highest profile staffer to leave the PAC in recent weeks, after several top officials were fired following the arrival of the PAC's new chairman, Scott Wagner.
Roe, a seasoned GOP operative who was the architect of the PAC's ground game operation in Iowa for DeSantis, announced his departure after a Washington Post story published Saturday contained a statement from Wagner that was critical of some former employees.
"Following mismanagement and conduct issues, including numerous unauthorized leaks containing false information, senior officials were terminated," he told the Post. "We don't have time to indulge false narratives from those with ulterior motives."
After a lawyer for the terminated employees contacted Wagner and said his quote was "categorically false," he sent a revised statement to the Post which read:
"Following some opinions regarding mismanagement and conduct issues, including some who believed there appeared to be numerous unauthorized leaks containing false information, NBD and some senior officials parted ways."
Roe Resigns from Never Back Down Amid Controversy
Jeff Roe, the campaign manager for Governor Ron DeSantis, has announced his resignation from the organization Never Back Down. Roe took to social media to make the announcement, citing the recent statements in the Washington Post as the reason for his departure.
In his post, Roe stated, "I cannot in good conscience stay affiliated with Never Back Down given the statements in the Washington Post today. They are not true and an unwanted distraction at a critical time for Governor DeSantis."
Roe also praised the team at Never Back Down, calling them "political warriors" and acknowledging their hard work in helping DeSantis's campaign.
Polls currently show DeSantis trailing former President Donald Trump and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in key states such as Iowa and New Hampshire. These numbers indicate a challenging road ahead for DeSantis in the GOP nominating contest.
Trump's Response
Late Saturday night, former President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform to comment on Roe's resignation. Trump wrote, "Jeff Roe is out - GAME OVER for DeSanctimonious."
"DeSanctimonious" is the nickname Trump has used to refer to DeSantis throughout the campaign.
Roe has a notable history in political campaigns, having served as the campaign manager for Sen. Ted Cruz's 2016 presidential campaign and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin's 2021 presidential campaign.
