Keith Gross accuses Evan Power of abusing Florida GOP resources to boost congressional bid

Congressional candidate Keith Gross says his GOP Primary opponent Evan Power wrongly used party resources to advance his own candidacy.

Gross, a Panama City Beach lawyer, alleged in a complaint to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) that Power used his position as Republican Party of Florida Chair to extort endorsements and party resources.

“Evan Power, Evan Power for Congress and the Republican Party of Florida (‘RPOF’) have engaged in a flagrant scheme to divert party resources (including corporate contributions) into the corrupt primary campaign of Power,” Gross wrote in the complaint. “Evan Power’s scheme seeks to disenfranchise the Republicans in CD-2 by tilting the field before the Primary even begins.”

Gross and Power were the first Republican candidates who filed to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn, who announced earlier this month that he won’t seek re-election.

Asked for comment, Power provided a statement from the RPOF denying the complaint’s allegations.

“This complaint is baseless and false,” the statement reads. “The Republican Party of Florida strictly complies with all applicable federal and state election laws. Any allegations to the contrary are inaccurate and based on a misunderstanding of the law and RPOF’s processes and procedures.”

The complaint flags that the RPOF’s social media accounts have sometimes promoted Power’s commentary.

The Florida GOP feed on X, for example, has frequently retweeted comments from the Chair, though those have principally involved his work in his official capacity. The same day the complaint was announced, Power posted his support for the Republican National Committee to host a Midterm convention. Earlier in the month, he posted on the growing voter registration advantage Republicans hold.

But any promotion of Power when he’s running for Congress constitutes a misuse of party resources, Gross’ complaint alleges. That’s in part because the party pays for Power to have a verified account.

“RPOF’s official X (@FloridaGOP) and Facebook accounts feature Power’s congressional badges/endorsements, blurring party neutrality. Posts since Jan. 14, 2026, promote his ‘battle-tested conservative’ bid, providing undisclosed coordinated communications worth $10,000+ in ad- equivalent value,” Gross wrote.

“The continued use of an affiliate badge on Power’s campaign X account provides notable benefits including enhanced visibility and prioritization of his posts by the platform. The party pays for this badge which benefits Power’s congressional campaign unlawfully.”

He also alleges Power has used the party’s database of donors and voters in the district to benefit the campaign. He also has used internal communication, the complaint alleges, to get party leaders to support his candidacy for Congress.

“Evan Power through his role as the Chairman of RPOF controls campaign spending on behalf of numerous campaigns. Many state legislators and members of Congress are beholden to the Chairman to ensure their re-election campaigns are successful,” the complaint reads. “Evan Power is misusing his role as controller of their purse strings to entice endorsements of his personal campaign for Congress.”

Gross also said Power’s position gives him the ability to threaten and silence county party leaders in Florida’s 2nd Congressional District. He also can use the party’s legal resources at no cost to his campaign, according to the complaint.

“The RPOF (and its donors — including Keith Gross) have claims of their own against Mr. Power and the RPOF for the unlawful use of party resources and because Mr. Power cannot perform the job for which he receives a hefty salary while also running his own campaign,” the complaint reads.

Power has said he intends to serve out his term as party Chair, which runs until after the November General Election.