One-time far right gubernatorial candidate James Fishbackremains a headache for the Republican nominee, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds.
Fishback said he was turned away and threatened with arrest at a get-out-the-vote rally in Clearwater on Oct. 24. Donalds was at the event hosted by U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna.
Fishback said in a news release he and his wife were told he was “not welcome here” upon entering the event. Fishback blamed Donalds, but the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said it was Luna's staff told detectives Fishback was not welcome at the event, according to West Palm Beach news station WPEC.
“I have attended political events featuring Donald Trump, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bernie Sanders, and I've never had any issues," Fishback
said. "It is disgraceful that Byron Donalds would threaten to arrest us for attending a political event open to the public."
Law enforcement denied Fishback's account. “Detectives told Fishback that he was not allowed in the event, but they did not threaten him with arrest," the Sheriff's department told WPEC.
Gates McGavick, communications director for Donalds' campaign, in a post to X, said Donalds neither hosted the event nor threatened to have Fishback arrested.
Fishback noted that he attend Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Angie Nixon's rally recently and was welcome. He received nearly 11% of the vote during the primary, but was known for his outlandish campaign tactic, such as calling Donalds a "slave," which some critics said was a racist dog whistle. Fishback said he used the term in regards to Donalds' billionaire donors.
Donalds received nearly 48% of the vote during the gubernatorial primary and is facing Democrat David Jolly in the general election on Nov. 3. Fishback has withheld his endorsement of Donalds.
Fishback posted on X Sunday: "A Byron Donalds surrogate called me two weeks ago begging for my endorsement, and now I'm getting threatened with arrest for attending a Byron Donalds' event that's open to the public."
John Pacenti is the Government Impact Reporter for The USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, athttps://palmbeachpost.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: James Fishback says he was threatened with arrest at Florida GOP rally
