Fox’s Mark Levin Supports DeSantis Without Disclosing Family Ties To Campaign, Semafor Reports

Fox News

Pundit and Fox News host Mark Levin, who has said he’s “all in for DeSantis,” has not publicly disclosed his family ties to the Florida governor, according to new reporting from Semafor.

Those ties come from Levin’s stepson who “worked on Jewish and pro-Israel outreach for Ron DeSantis’s gubernatorial reelection campaign and presidential campaign,” reporter Max Tani wrote, continuing:

Earlier this week, Levin sat down for a friendly telephone interview with the Florida governor. Over the course of 15 minutes, Levin praised DeSantis’ gubernatorial record, contrasting it with former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s, and reminded DeSantis that he should direct people to his 2024 presidential campaign website for signups and donations.

But at no point in the conversation did he mention that his stepson David Milstein works for DeSantis. DeSantis’ campaign had paid at least $22,000 over the last several months to Magen Strategies, a Florida LLC operated by Milstein who lists the DeSantis gubernatorial role on his LinkedIn page.

Tani wrote that while Levin overwhelmingly supports Donald Trump for the Republican nomination in 2024, he told Megyn Kelly that he is “all in for DeSantis” if Trump doesn’t get the nomination.

In a recent Tweet, Levin grouped DeSantis and Trump together when lamenting, “Why are all the fat GOP guys, like Christie, Hogan, and Barr, Trump and DeSantis haters?”

Although Levin is a political commentator and not formally a journalist, it’s considered good form for journalists to disclose such information to their audiences. According to The Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics, journalists should, “Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived. Disclose unavoidable conflicts.”

Tani also claimed that Levin has supported his stepson’s bosses in the past: “During the 2016 primary, Levin backed Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, for whom his stepson worked as a senate aide at the time.”

“While Levin’s support for DeSantis hasn’t seemed to help DeSantis in the polls, he remains a kingmaker among a certain set in conservative media,” Tani concluded. “A slot on his Sunday night show on Fox News is one of the strongest drivers of book sales, and his radio show remains widely syndicated and listened to.”

Neither Levin nor Fox News have responded to requests for comment.

Read the Semafor article here.