Ron DeSantis’ donor, Kent Stermon, committed suicide, after the father of a minor he tried to exploit turned down a five-figure hush money deal

Ron DeSantis’ donor, Kent Stermon, committed suicide, after the father of a minor he tried to exploit turned down a five-figure hush money deal.

The political donor behind Ron DeSantis’s rapid rise to prominence took his own life after he was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with an underaged teen, a DailyMail.com investigation has revealed.

Kent Stermon’s suicide in December came shortly after the girl’s father turned down a ‘five-figure sum’ in a hush-money deal and reported him to the police instead, we have learned.

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters did not specify what the investigation was about, but law enforcement sources told the Times-Union and news partner First Coast News that investigators were scrutinizing alleged sexual misconduct. His attorney, David Barksdale, couldn’t be immediately reached for comment.

“This investigation remains ongoing at this time and will continue until its completion. As with all active investigations, there is limited information available to release at this time,” Waters said. “However, as soon as this investigation has been completed, all applicable information will be available for release to the public.”

The prominent DeSantis ally and GOP donor, who was based in Jacksonville, Florida, was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with the girl, for whom he obtained highly sought-after Taylor Swift concert tickets which he said he’d give her if she sent him a photo of her breasts.

Stermon was president of Total Military Management, a logistics firm that re-locates members of the armed services. Through both political donations and personal relationships, particularly with Gov. Ron DeSantis, Stermon became a significant player in local and state politics, with a keen interest in law enforcement.

The teenager balked at the idea and he eventually let her go.

She later told her boyfriend and her father about the encounter, prompting her dad to furiously confront Stermon at an arranged meeting at a diner in Atlantic Beach, according to sources. 

It was there that Stermon offered him the five-figure sum to keep quiet, but the dad refused.

Not too long after on December 8, Stermon killed himself just as Jacksonville police were launching their probe into the girl’s claims. Police do not suspect foul play in his death. An Atlantic Beach police officer found him unresponsive in a truck parked at the post office on Mayport Road around 8 p.m. Thursday, according to an incident report.