Melaleuca CEO Frank VanderSloot endorses Marco Rubio
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IDAHO FALLS — Melaleuca CEO Frank VanderSloot announced Wednesday, Nov. 18 he will support Marco Rubio’s campaign for president.
“Marco Rubio is the brightest and most capable candidate,” VanderSloot said in a letter explaining his endorsement. “He has the uncanny ability to state his positions clearly in a way that resonates with the average voter.”
VanderSloot said he plans to raise money for Rubio, but has not decided how much he will personally give.
The Melaleuca CEO said he believes this presidential election may be the most important election in American history.
“Because of that, I have paid a great deal of attention to the Republican field of potential nominees. The next president cannot be an ‘average” leader.’ He or she must be exceptional in every category possible,” VanderSloot said.
In 2012, VanderSloot and his company gave $1.1 million to Restore Our Future, a super political action committee that helped GOP nominee Mitt Romney. He also was one of Romney’s national campaign finance co-chairs, raising millions of dollars in bundled donations for both the 2008 and 2012 campaigns.
“We’re thrilled to have Frank on our team. As Marco’s campaign gains momentum around the country, his support is a big boast to our efforts and will help ensure sure we have the resources necessary to win the nomination,” Alex Conant, a spokesman for Rubio’s campaign, said in a statement to EastIdahoNews.com.
VanderSloot said he and a small team of analysts looked at Rubio and other candidates – including Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, and Carly Fiorina.
Fiorina visited Idaho Falls in October and was VanderSloot’s second choice.
“She would be a great president. But she simply isn’t resonating with the voters. She doesn’t seem to have the skill of being able to garner support and change people’s minds. That is where Marco Rubio shines,” VanderSloot wrote.
VanderSloot said he plans to host fundraisers and bundle contributions for Rubio’s campaign. Rubio visited Idaho Falls and met with VanderSloot twice this year.