FACT CHECK: No, Ron DeSantis Did Not Receive $2 Million From A Bank Owned By Dominion Voting Systems

Christine Sellers | Fact Check Reporter

A post shared on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, claims Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis received a $2 million donation from Sequoia Capital Bank, which is purportedly owned by Dominion Voting Systems.

Verdict: Misleading

Dominion Voting Systems acquired the assets of Sequoia Voting Systems in 2010. A spokesperson for Dominion Voting Systems denied having any business connection to Sequoia Capital Bank in an email to Check Your Fact.

Fact Check:

DeSantis suspended Democratic State Attorney Monique Worrell over her alleged dereliction of duty, according to The Washington Post. Worrell called DeSantis a “weak dictator” over his decision, claiming the move represented a “loss of democracy,” The Hill reported.

“Of course Ron DeSantis is now claiming the 2020 election was not stolen… The dude took in a 2 million dollar donation from Sequoia Capital Bank, owned by DOMINION. A vote for Ron DeSantis is a vote for Mitt Romney,” the X post, viewed over 100,000 times, purports.

The claim is misleading, however. Dominion Voting Systems acquired the assets of Sequoia Voting Systems in June 2010, according to a press release archived via the Internet Wayback Machine. Specifically, Dominion Voting Systems acquired Sequoia Voting Systems’ inventory and intellectual property, including software, firmware, and hardware, the same archived release indicated.

Likewise, there is no mention of Dominion Voting Systems owning Sequoia Capital Bank on the company’s website. Sequoia Capital Bank also has neither repeated the claim via its website nor its social media accounts. In addition, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports linking the two companies.

Furthermore, an April 2023 filing with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) reveals a partner with Sequoia Capital Bank, venture capitalist Douglas Leone, donated $2 million to Never Back Down, Inc. Campaign finance data available via the FEC’s website lists Never Back Down, Inc. as a Super Political Action Committee (PAC). A keyword search that generates the PAC’s website indicates it supports DeSantis.

Therefore, the claim that Sequoia Capital Bank donated $2 million directly to DeSantis is also misleading. (RELATED: Is Ron DeSantis The Only Veteran Running For President?)

A spokesperson for Dominion Voting Systems denied having any business connection to Sequoia Capital Bank in an email to Check Your Fact.

“Dominion Voting Systems has no business connection to Sequoia Capital Bank. Any claims about a business or financial relationship between Dominion Voting Systems and Sequoia Capital Bank are completely false,” the spokesperson said.

Check Your Fact has also contacted Sequoia Capital Bank and a DeSantis spokesperson for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.

Christine Sellers

Fact Check Reporter

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