Over two months after wrongly claiming that Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds was under federal investigation, ex-competitor James Fishback has now issued an apology.
Fishback — an investment firm CEO and conservative influencer who ran in the primaries against Donalds for the Republican nomination — issued a statement via X early Wednesday, writing that he had “a moral obligation to publicly retract my statement and apologize.”
“I sinned against my fellow man, and I am sorry,” he stated. “I ask God for forgiveness and pray that I can make amends.”
I am writing this without consulting my lawyer because it is the right thing to do, regardless of the legal implications. In early August, I made a terrible mistake by claiming that Byron Donalds and Cory Mills were under federal investigation. I received this information from someone I trusted, but I accept the DOJ’s public statement that neither man is under investigation, which means that I bore false witness.
As a Catholic, I take the Ten Commandments seriously. After speaking with my priest and going to confession, I have a moral obligation to publicly retract my statement and apologize.
I apologize to Byron, Cory, and their families for what I said.
To be clear, neither man nor their lawyers asked me to write this, and neither has ever contacted me about it.
I sinned against my fellow man, and I am sorry. I ask God for forgiveness and pray that I can make amends.
In Christ,
James T. Fishback
Charlottesville, VA— James Fishback (@jamesfishback) October 28, 2026
The incident originally happened back in August ahead of the primary election, when Fishback launched accusations that Donalds was under federal investigation for sex trafficking.
[RELATED: Waffle House bans Fishback from all restaurants in the state]
At the time, he claimed an investigation surrounding U.S. Rep. Cory Mills had expanded to include Donalds, referencing an anonymous “government whistleblower.”
On July 21st, 2026, NBC News reported that Republican Florida Congressman Cory Mills was under criminal investigation by the Department of Justice.
Like virtually every federal investigation, this one began with a single suspect before expanding to include others.
A government… pic.twitter.com/JQNVFtOkmT
— James Fishback (@j_fishback) August 6, 2026
Donalds’ team and the Department of Justice ultimately declared Fishback’s claim was not true and that Donalds was not, in fact, under federal investigation.
“Completely false,” Donalds’ team told News 6. “We will not be distracted by this baseless and defamatory sideshow, and neither should you.”
Falsely accusing someone of being under investigation is a dangerous form of weaponization. This claim is not true. Congressman Byron Donalds is not under investigation. https://t.co/QW26cT7b4d
— DOJ Rapid Response (@DOJRR47) August 7, 2026
Ultimately, Donalds came out on top, winning the Republican nomination for Florida governor and pitting him against Democratic competitor David Jolly.
Voters in the state will get to decide which of the two candidates will win the seat during the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
For more information about all the different races in Central Florida this year, check out ClickOrlando’s official Voter Guide by clicking here.
[RELATED: David Jolly, Byron Donalds win nominations for Florida’s governor race]