JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Action News Jax has learned the Jacksonville-based company contracted to staff Alligator Alcatraz has ties to a donor of Governor Ron DeSantis.
Critical Response Strategies (CRS) is being paid $78.5 million for its work on the Everglades-based immigration detention facility.
CRS took down its leadership page sometime after May 13th, but using the Wayback Machine, Action News Jax was able to track down its leadership team.
Among them, local businessman Will Adkins, former Duval Emergency Director and current JFRD Lieutenant Todd Smith, and former GOP Michigan Gubernatorial Candidate Tudor Dixon.
Sunbiz documents reveal that Matthew Fenner is listed as the manager of CRS.
Fenner is also the CFO of Caplin Ventures.
When we visited the listed address of CRS, we found Caplin Ventures occupies the same suite.
While CRS is not currently listed on Caplin Ventures’ client portfolio, using the Wayback Machine, we were able to see as of May, CRS had been listed as a Caplin Ventures client.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
State Representative Anna Eskamani (D-Orlando), who has been raising concerns about CRS’ involvement in the Everglades immigrant detention center, argued there appears to be an effort to erase evidence linking the company to the facility.
“This entire operation is very concerning. It does not meet the basic standards and guidelines of how detention centers are managed, and anyone associated with it is at risk of litigation at this point,” said Eskamani.
She noted the contract between CRS and the state was pulled down off the Florida Department of Financial Services website sometime on Wednesday.
Among the six people previously listed on CRS’ leadership page, only one lists their employment with the company on their LinkedIn profile.
Meanwhile, the company’s CEO has either deleted or made their profile private.
Additionally, Eskamani argued the apparently simultaneous deletion of CRS’ leadership page and the removal of CRS from Caplin Ventures’ website seems intentional.
“If you’re so proud of the way public money is being spent, then post the contracts, and if you’re proud of managing these public projects, then keep your leadership pages online,” said Eskamani. ”The lack of transparency is so appalling.”
She suggested the motive could also be intended to hide political connections.
Action News Jax was able to find more than $86,000 in campaign donations associated with Caplin Ventures’ CEO Ricky Caplin made to political committees and campaign accounts tied to Governor Ron DeSantis.
“This is about enriching a handful of political elites that are close to Governor Ron DeSantis on the backs of immigrant families being separated,” said Eskamani.
All of our efforts over the past two weeks to contact and question CRS have gone unanswered.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
