Florida Gov.-elect Byron Donalds has tapped Tarren Bragdon, the founder of a billionaire-funded think tank that has successfully lobbied to weaken child labor law and reduce access to food stamps, to serve as policy chair of his transition team.
Bragdon, a former state legislator from Maine, founded the Foundation for Government Accountability in Naples (Donalds’ stomping grounds) in 2011. The FGA has since worked closely with staffers inside Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration to shape state policy around social welfare and workers’ rights issues.
In 2024, records obtained by Orlando Weekly found that the FGA drafted legislation to weaken child labor protections in Florida, with the support of Gov. DeSantis, that eventually passed. The FGA has also supported efforts in Florida to undermine labor unions and make it harder for low-income Floridians to qualify for food stamps or access unemployment benefits.
“Governor-elect Byron Donalds has committed to advancing big ideas, cutting through red tape and bureaucratic delays, spending tax dollars wisely, and bringing reforms and results quickly,” Bragdon shared in a statement about joining Donalds’ transition team. “He has the mandate, the vision, and the drive to deliver. I’m honored to help him and his team make it happen from Day One.”
On a mission
The think tank’s policy work and lobbying activity hasn’t been confined to Florida.
The once “obscure” group has for years pushed for state-level welfare reforms — targeting programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid and unemployment benefits — across the U.S., prioritizing stricter work requirements to access these lifeline programs.
Officials within the Trump administration have also recently cited policy papers published by the Foundation for Government Accountability to defend its cuts to SNAP. The FGA claims reforms are needed is to combat government “fraud.”
Through its affiliated lobbying arm, the Opportunity Solutions Project, the FGA has also lobbied to weaken child labor protections — by, for instance, allowing teenagers to work night shifts and on factory assembly lines — and ban guaranteed income programs that seek to help lift poor people and families out of poverty.
Although the FGA is a 501(c)(3) organization that is not required to disclose its funding, tax filings show the organization has historically received generous contributions from conservative billionaires and other right-wing foundations.
A close call
Even with the Republican Party’s 1.5 million voter registration advantage, Donalds only narrowly defeated Democrat David Jolly in the race for Florida governor this month, besting Jolly by less than 2 percentage points.
Donalds made history last Tuesday in being elected Florida’s first-ever Black governor and — in a bid to appease the disillusioned and cost-burdened masses — has told the media he’s committed to “making sure Florida is affordable for everybody.”
“We just have a responsibility now to go back to the drawing board, look at the idea sets, make sure we’re pushing the policies that are going to help people’s lives better,” Donalds told CNN’s Dana Bash in a post-election interview.
Follow the money
Donalds, who ended up with a massive campaign war chest of over $160 million, faced scrutiny during his campaign over his wife’s involvement in (and personal profit from) the school privatization movement and his friendly approach to AI data centers.
Major industry players in data center development contributed tens of millions of dollars to Donalds’ campaign for governor, according to the investigative newsletter Seeking Rents. Bragdon and his wife, Anna, personally contributed $57,000 to Donalds’ PAC, according to PAC contribution records.
Billionaire Dick Uihlein — a major funder of the FGA and DeSantis’ political ambitions— also gave Donalds’ PAC a total of $2 million in his bid for governor, records show.
Donalds received an early endorsement from President Donald Trump in his run for Florida governor and has sided with outgoing Gov. DeSantis in his disdain for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, “woke” ideology in schools and abortion rights.
Also tapped for Donalds’ transition team are South Florida businessman Manny Kadre, chairman of Donalds’ PAC Ryan Smith, and banking executive Teresa Ressel.
