Florida
ActBlue Investigations Raises Vetting, Due-Diligence Questions for Samuel Vilchez Santiago’s Florida House Endorsers
Two ActBlue employees hold key roles in a Florida House campaign and supporting PAC that raised about $217,000 combined, raising questions about what endorsers knew before recommending the candidate to voters
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN NEWS) — Continuing national scrutiny surrounding Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue is intersecting with a Florida House race, raising questions about candidate vetting, endorsement due diligence and what voters should know before casting their ballots.
Samuel Vilchez Santiago, a Democratic candidate for Florida House District 43, identifies himself as a PACs and nonprofits senior manager at ActBlue. His campaign treasurer, José Gamboa, also works for ActBlue as an account management specialist while simultaneously serving in leadership and financial roles with Central Floridians for Change, a political committee supporting Vilchez Santiago.
Together, Vilchez Santiago’s campaign and the supporting PAC have raised approximately $217,000 — about $155,000 by the campaign and $62,000 by Central Floridians for Change, according to campaign-finance records reviewed by Florida National News.
Central Floridians for Change contributed $50,000 to the Florida House Democratic Campaign Committee in July. The House Democratic committee subsequently participated in political advertising supporting Vilchez Santiago, according to a mailer distributed to District 43 voters and reviewed by FNN. The mailer’s disclaimer states that it was approved by Vilchez Santiago.
At the same time, Vilchez Santiago’s campaign website displays an extensive endorsement network of political and advocacy organizations, labor unions and current and former elected officials.
Those relationships do not establish wrongdoing by Vilchez Santiago, Gamboa, ActBlue or either political committee.
But against the backdrop of continuing congressional and federal scrutiny involving ActBlue, they raise legitimate questions about transparency, political fundraising and the level of due diligence conducted before influential organizations and public officials recommended Vilchez Santiago to voters.
FNN News Graphic
Why Vetting and Due Diligence Matter to Voters
Political endorsements are intended to influence elections.
When members of Congress, mayors, state legislators, constitutional officers, labor unions and national advocacy organizations publicly recommend a candidate, they put their names and reputations behind that recommendation.
That makes the process preceding an endorsement relevant to voters.
A comprehensive vetting process can examine a candidate’s professional history, financial relationships, campaign-finance records, potential conflicts, public statements and other information relevant to holding public office.
But an endorsement alone does not establish that such a review occurred.
An endorsement tells voters whom an organization or political leader supports. Due diligence tells voters how carefully that recommendation was made.
That distinction takes on greater significance when a candidate’s employer is simultaneously facing federal and congressional investigations.
ActBlue Faces Continuing National Scrutiny
ActBlue has faced extensive congressional scrutiny involving its online political fundraising operations.
Republican-led investigations by the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, Committee on House Administration and House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform have examined allegations involving fraud prevention, donor verification, potentially prohibited foreign contributions and internal compliance practices.
Congressional investigators have subpoenaed ActBlue records and sought testimony from current and former employees.
Federal scrutiny expanded after President Donald Trump’s April 24, 2025, presidential memorandum directed the attorney general to investigate allegations involving online fundraising platforms and potentially unlawful political contributions.
The existence of congressional or federal investigations does not establish that allegations against ActBlue have been proven.
ActBlue has disputed allegations of wrongdoing and maintained that it complies with federal campaign-finance laws.
Congressional Investigators Have Examined ActBlue Employees
The role and knowledge of ActBlue employees have become part of the congressional investigation.
House investigators have subpoenaed current and former employees for depositions based on their responsibilities and potential knowledge of ActBlue’s internal operations.
In April 2026, three House committees released a second joint interim staff report addressing ActBlue. Congressional investigators reported that five current or former ActBlue employees invoked their Fifth Amendment rights a combined 146 times during depositions.
Invoking the Fifth Amendment is a constitutional right and does not establish guilt.
There is also an important distinction involving the two ActBlue employees connected to the Florida House race.
Florida National News has identified no public evidence that Vilchez Santiago or Gamboa has been charged with wrongdoing, publicly identified as a target or subject of a federal criminal investigation, or publicly named as subjects of the congressional ActBlue investigations.
Their employment at ActBlue does not establish wrongdoing.
But because investigators have focused on what certain ActBlue employees knew and what responsibilities they held, the professional roles of Vilchez Santiago and Gamboa become relevant to understanding the Florida connection to the national story.
ActBlue PACs and Nonprofits Senior Manager Samuel Vilchez Santiago, a former Orange County Democratic Party chair and candidate for Florida House District 43. Photo Credit: Samuel Vilchez Santiago
Vilchez Santiago Says He Helps ‘Thousands’ Through ActBlue
Vilchez Santiago openly promotes his ActBlue employment as part of his professional qualifications.
His campaign website states:
“As a Senior Nonprofit Manager at ActBlue, he helps thousands of nonprofits and grassroots movements across the country build people-powered fundraising programs that shift political influence away from corporations and toward communities.”
The statement portrays a broad professional role involving fundraising programs for organizations across the country.
It does not establish that Vilchez Santiago works in ActBlue’s fraud-prevention, donor-verification, legal or compliance operations.
But because Vilchez Santiago himself emphasizes the scale of his responsibilities, the precise nature of that work is relevant to understanding whether his duties overlap with areas receiving congressional or federal scrutiny.
José Gamboa, an ActBlue account management specialist, serves as Vilchez Santiago’s campaign treasurer. He is also Central Floridians for Change’s chairman and treasurer, while records list him as its registered agent. Photo Credit: Jose Gamboa
Second ActBlue Employee Holds Key Campaign and PAC Roles
The ActBlue connection extends beyond Vilchez Santiago.
José Gamboa, an ActBlue account management specialist, serves as Vilchez Santiago’s campaign treasurer.
Gamboa also holds multiple positions with Central Floridians for Change, the political committee supporting Vilchez Santiago.
Campaign-finance records identify Gamboa as the committee’s chairman and treasurer, while records also list him as its registered agent.
That places two ActBlue employees in significant positions surrounding the same Florida House race:
Vilchez Santiago — ActBlue senior nonprofit manager and Florida House candidate.
Gamboa — ActBlue account management specialist, Vilchez Santiago campaign treasurer and chairman, treasurer and registered agent of Central Floridians for Change.
The overlapping roles are not evidence of misconduct.
They are, however, relevant facts for organizations and elected officials conducting candidate due diligence.
Campaign and Supporting PAC Raised About $217,000
Campaign-finance records reviewed by FNN show:
Vilchez Santiago campaign: approximately $155,000
Central Floridians for Change: approximately $62,000
Combined: approximately $217,000
The campaign and political committee are legally separate entities. The combined figure is used to illustrate the financial scale surrounding the candidate campaign and PAC supporting him.
Gamboa holds key financial positions involving both entities.
PAC Sent $50,000 to Florida House Democratic Campaign Committee
Central Floridians for Change contributed $50,000 to the Florida House Democratic Campaign Committee in July 2026, according to campaign-finance records reviewed by FNN.
The money was reported through three contributions:
$25,000
$15,000
$10,000
The contributions totaled $50,000.
Compared with the approximately $62,000 raised by Central Floridians for Change, the transfer represents roughly 81% of the PAC’s fundraising.
The contribution does not establish an improper transaction.
It does establish a substantial financial relationship between the Vilchez Santiago-supporting political committee and the Democratic political committee responsible for helping elect candidates to the Florida House.
House Democratic Committee Subsequently Supported Vilchez Santiago
The financial relationship was followed by political activity in House District 43.
A mailer distributed to District 43 voters and reviewed by FNN identifies the Florida House Democratic Campaign Committee in its political-advertisement disclaimer and communicates support for Vilchez Santiago and other Democratic candidates.
The disclaimer states that the advertisement was approved by Samuel Vilchez Santiago, Democrat, for state representative.
The documented sequence is significant:
Central Floridians for Change raised approximately $62,000 → transferred $50,000 to the Florida House Democratic Campaign Committee → the House Democratic committee subsequently participated in political advertising supporting Vilchez Santiago → the mailer states it was approved by Vilchez Santiago.
That sequence does not establish a quid pro quo, illegal coordination or campaign-finance violation.
It does establish a financial and political relationship that is relevant to understanding the network surrounding the District 43 campaign.
FNN Fact-Check Rated Mailer Claim ‘Mostly False’
Florida National News separately fact-checked a specific claim contained in the Florida House Democratic Campaign Committee mailer and rated that claim “Mostly False.”
The rating applies only to the specific statement examined by FNN and should not be interpreted as a finding that every statement contained in the mailer was false.
Because the advertisement’s disclaimer states that it was approved by Vilchez Santiago, the accuracy of its claims is relevant to voters evaluating both the advertisement and the candidate.
FNN’s separate fact-check details the evidence supporting the rating.
Photo Credit: Samuel Vilchez Santiago
Extensive Endorsements Put Due Diligence in Focus
Vilchez Santiago’s campaign website displays dozens of endorsements from political and advocacy organizations, labor unions and current and former elected officials.
The campaign lists support from organizations including Equality Florida Action PAC, Latino Victory Fund, SEIU Florida, Orange County Fire Fighters Association, Florida NOW, Giffords PAC, Run for Something, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, Florida Rising, Florida AFL-CIO, Central Florida AFL-CIO, Florida Education Association and United Auto Workers, among others.
Federal political figures listed by the campaign include U.S. Reps. Darren Soto and Maxwell Frost and former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
Florida political figures listed include Democratic legislative leaders, state senators and representatives, along with Central Florida officials including Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.
The number and prominence of those endorsements demonstrate substantial institutional political support.
They do not, by themselves, reveal the extent of the vetting conducted before those endorsements were issued.
What Did Endorsers Know?
The national ActBlue scrutiny and the Florida campaign-finance relationships create several basic due-diligence questions.
Were endorsers aware that Vilchez Santiago worked as a senior manager for ActBlue?
Did they examine the scope of his responsibilities?
Did they know his campaign treasurer also worked for ActBlue and simultaneously controlled key financial functions for Central Floridians for Change?
Did they review the approximately $217,000 raised by the campaign and supporting PAC?
Were they aware of the $50,000 transfer to the Florida House Democratic Campaign Committee and the subsequent political advertising supporting Vilchez Santiago?
And were they aware of the congressional and federal scrutiny involving ActBlue before lending their names to his candidacy?
Those questions do not presume that an endorsement was improper.
They address something voters cannot determine simply by looking at a campaign endorsement page:
What due diligence occurred before the endorsement?
Why It Matters to Florida Voters
The national ActBlue controversy may appear removed from a Florida House primary.
In District 43, the connections are direct.
An ActBlue senior manager is seeking election to the Florida Legislature.
Another ActBlue employee manages his campaign finances while simultaneously holding leadership and financial positions with a PAC supporting him.
The campaign and PAC raised approximately $217,000 combined.
The PAC transferred $50,000 to the Florida House Democratic Campaign Committee.
That committee subsequently participated in political advertising supporting the ActBlue-employed candidate.
Meanwhile, dozens of organizations and current and former elected officials are asking voters to support Vilchez Santiago.
None of those facts establishes wrongdoing.
But voters are entitled to understand not only who endorsed a candidate, but what those endorsers knew before they made that recommendation.
Vetting matters. Due diligence matters. And when influential political figures and organizations use their credibility to influence voters, the process behind their endorsements matters, too.
Florida House District 43 Democratic Race Plagued by Controversies Ahead of 2026 Primary Election
What Comes Next: FNN Will Seek Answers
Florida National News will continue examining the intersection between ActBlue, its employees, the Vilchez Santiago campaign, Central Floridians for Change and the Florida House Democratic Campaign Committee.
As part of a follow-up report, FNN plans to seek responses from ActBlue, Samuel Vilchez Santiago, José Gamboa and the Florida House Democratic Campaign Committee, as well as political organizations and current and former elected officials who endorsed Vilchez Santiago.
FNN will ask ActBlue to clarify the professional responsibilities of Vilchez Santiago and Gamboa, including whether their positions involve nonprofit organizations, PACs, political committees or accounts connected with Florida political activity.
Vilchez Santiago and Gamboa will be asked about their overlapping ActBlue, campaign and political committee roles and whether ActBlue maintains policies governing employees who simultaneously participate in campaigns or political committees.
The Florida House Democratic Campaign Committee will be asked about the $50,000 received from Central Floridians for Change, its subsequent political advertising supporting Vilchez Santiago and the process surrounding the mailer approved by the candidate.
FNN will also ask major endorsers what vetting and due diligence they conducted before recommending Vilchez Santiago to District 43 voters and whether they reviewed his ActBlue employment and the campaign-finance relationships documented in this report.
The responses — including which organizations and officials respond, what they say they reviewed and how they explain their decisions — will be examined in a subsequent Florida National News report.
For voters, that follow-up could help answer the central question raised by the extensive endorsement network:
What did endorsers know, what did they review and how much due diligence occurred before they asked District 43 voters to trust their recommendation?
Entertainment
Tom Cruise Brings Hollywood Star Power to Daytona as ‘Days of Thunder’ Sequel Energizes NASCAR
Cruise’s Daytona appearance puts NASCAR in the global entertainment spotlight as Cole Trickle prepares to return to the track in 2028
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — Tom Cruise brought Hollywood star power to Daytona International Speedway, energizing the NASCAR garage and putting one of racing’s most recognizable movie characters back on the starting grid.
The global superstar’s appearance during the Coke Zero Sugar 400 weekend was more than a celebrity visit. Cruise came to Daytona to reconnect with NASCAR, meet today’s drivers and team owners, and introduce the next chapter of Days of Thunder, with Cruise returning as Cole Trickle and Anne Hathaway joining the franchise.
Florida National News was at Daytona capturing Cruise’s interaction with drivers, teams and fans as Hollywood and NASCAR came together at the World Center of Racing.
Cruise Brings Hollywood Star Power to Daytona
Cruise’s presence immediately became one of the biggest stories surrounding the NASCAR weekend.
The actor attended the pre-race drivers meeting and spent time with competitors and team owners as he learned more about how NASCAR has changed since the original Days of Thunder was released in 1990.
Cruise told NASCAR competitors that he wants the new movie to capture more than racing. His interest extends to the teams, people and culture surrounding the sport — an approach that could give NASCAR significant exposure beyond its traditional fan base.
For NASCAR, that star power matters.
Cruise is one of the world’s most recognizable movie stars, and a major theatrical production built around stock-car racing could introduce NASCAR’s drivers, teams and tracks to audiences who may rarely, if ever, watch a Cup Series race.
Tom Cruise and Anne Hathaway pose alongside a “Cole Trickle” Days of Thunder race car in a promotional image for Days of Thunder 2.
Photo Credit: Courtesy Photo: Tom Cruise’s X social media
‘Days of Thunder’ Returns for a New NASCAR Generation
Cruise will reprise his role as Cole Trickle, the fearless young driver at the center of the original movie.
Hathaway will co-star as a race-team owner and engineer. Jonathan Levine is set to direct from a screenplay by Will Staples, while Cruise, Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper are producing.
Paramount Pictures has scheduled the movie for June 2, 2028.
The sequel arrives nearly four decades after the original Days of Thunder brought NASCAR racing to movie theaters around the world.
The 1990 film starred Cruise alongside Robert Duvall, Nicole Kidman, Michael Rooker, Randy Quaid and Cary Elwes. Real NASCAR personalities were also incorporated into the production, establishing a connection between Hollywood fiction and the actual racing community.
Now Cruise is returning to a NASCAR that is dramatically different from the sport Cole Trickle entered in 1990.
NASCAR Drivers Already Want In
Cruise’s Daytona appearance also created another storyline: Which NASCAR stars will make it into the movie?
Three-time Cup Series champion Joey Logano, along with Chase Briscoe and Kyle Larson, has expressed interest in appearing in the sequel. Production is expected to begin in early 2027, leaving casting and potential NASCAR cameos among the major developments still ahead.
Their enthusiasm illustrates the cultural reach of the original film within NASCAR itself.
Many of today’s drivers grew up in an era when Days of Thunder had already become part of racing’s popular culture. Appearing alongside Cruise could now give a new generation of NASCAR competitors the opportunity once held by drivers who appeared in the original movie.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Helps Connect Hollywood With Modern NASCAR
NASCAR’s involvement may extend well beyond cameos.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has said he has been communicating with people developing the story, including discussions about how the movie can authentically portray today’s NASCAR while respecting what made the original memorable.
That input could prove valuable.
NASCAR has changed dramatically since 1990 — from its race cars and safety technology to team operations, media coverage and the way fans experience the sport. Capturing modern NASCAR while preserving the personality of the original movie will be one of the sequel’s central challenges.
Rick Hendrick Sees a Major Opportunity for NASCAR
Few people have a stronger connection to both chapters than legendary NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick.
Hendrick Motorsports provided technical support for the original movie, beginning a relationship among Hendrick, Cruise and producer Jerry Bruckheimer that stretches back decades.
Hendrick believes the sequel could provide a significant boost for NASCAR, saying the movie could do the sport “a tremendous amount of good.”
That assessment gets to the larger significance of Cruise’s Daytona appearance.
A Days of Thunder sequel isn’t simply another Hollywood production using racing as a backdrop. If NASCAR teams, drivers and tracks become part of the production, the movie could function as a global showcase for the sport.
From ‘Top Gun’ to ‘Days of Thunder’
Cruise has already demonstrated the potential of revisiting a signature movie decades later.
Top Gun: Maverick introduced the Top Gun franchise to a new generation while bringing longtime fans back to theaters. There is no guarantee Days of Thunder will duplicate that success, but NASCAR offers many of the elements associated with Cruise’s biggest action films — speed, technology, competition, danger and spectacle.
The difference this time is that NASCAR itself could share the spotlight.
Cruise isn’t simply returning to the fictional world of Cole Trickle. He is immersing himself in the real NASCAR garage before cameras begin rolling.
Daytona Becomes the Starting Line
That makes Daytona an important part of the sequel’s developing story.
Daytona International Speedway represents generations of NASCAR history. Cruise’s decision to bring Days of Thunder back into that environment connected the original film, today’s NASCAR and Hollywood’s upcoming sequel in one place.
For longtime NASCAR fans, Cruise’s return revives memories of Cole Trickle.
For younger audiences, the new film could provide their first introduction to the character — and potentially their first meaningful exposure to NASCAR.
For the sport itself, the possibilities are considerably larger.
Cruise and Hathaway give the production international star power. NASCAR provides the speed, personalities, rivalries and authenticity. Daytona provided the stage where those worlds came together.
And NASCAR drivers are already lining up to become part of it.
What’s Next for ‘Days of Thunder’
Attention now turns toward production, which is expected to begin in early 2027. Additional casting, filming locations, participating NASCAR organizations and driver cameos remain among the biggest unanswered questions.
The finished movie is scheduled to arrive in theaters June 2, 2028.
Between now and then, NASCAR has an unusual opportunity: allow one of Hollywood’s biggest stars to take audiences behind the wheel and into the culture of American stock-car racing.
At Daytona, Cruise provided the first taste of what that combination could generate.
The thunder is coming back — and NASCAR could be one of its biggest stars.
Florida
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