Investment bankers, private investors and health care companies are betting heavy on Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott.

Scott collected $98,300 from 12 contributions on June 28, records show. The money went to his political committee, known as Let’s Get to Work. The so-called 527 committees help Florida political candidates avoid state campaign contribution laws.

Scott’s primary opponent, Attorney General Bill McCollum, is affiliated with a pair of similar committees. Those groups have received $1 million that track back to a pair of South Florida doctors, Gerald Glass and Paul Zimmerman.*

Scott, who has already spent more than $20 million of his own money, received a chunk of his latest contributions from Palm Beach sources:

L.B. Daniels, a private equity investor who lives in Palm Beach, gave $25,000; Contributions of $10,000 came from the Palm Beach Health Associates (and its parent company, MCCI) and Primary Care Specialists of the Palm Beaches. Palm Beach’s Richard J. Schmeelk, a former general partner of Saloman Brothers and the founding partner of CAI, a Canada-based private equity company, donated $5,000.

*The two men used three companies they jointly own to funnel $500,000 each to political committees controlled by Dean Cannon and Mike Haridopolos, Republican leaders of the House and Senate, respectively. Cannon and Haridopolos then sent the money to McCollum’s group.

Tags: 527s, campaign finance, Rick Scott

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