DeSantis’ new campaign deputy was part of massive anti-net neutrality campaign that used dead people to spam the FCC

A GOP consultant set to be the next deputy campaign manager for presidential hopeful Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) was part of the infamous astroturfing campaign against net neutrality. Ethan Eilon, who Bloomberg reported is being promoted by Gov. DeSantis from digital director to deputy campaign manager, is alleged to have numerous ties to the myriad efforts that saw the Federal Communications Commission flooded with millions of fraudulent comments supporting the 2017 decision to repeal net neutrality. As reported by Gizmodo in 2019, an organization co-founded by Eilon, Free Our Internet, was one of numerous groups subpoenaed by the New York attorney general over the astroturfing campaign. Aside from his work with Gov. DeSantis, Eilon ran a marketing firm known as Conservative Connector. The firm received over $31 million during the 2016 presidential election from the campaign of former President Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee. The astroturfing effort helped give the Trump administration cover to repeal net neutrality, a popular initiative among big telecom companies, but one that the vast majority of Americans oppose.