Florida gubernatorial candidate James Fishback has been dumped by his personal legal professionals, who accused him of racking up greater than $150,000 in unpaid payments from his long-running authorized spat with hedge fund titan David Einhorn, The Publish has discovered.
Courtroom filings present the 31-year-old Republican — who has spouted conspiracy theories about Jewish individuals on the marketing campaign path — has didn’t cough up the money for almost 4 months after he was sued by his former employer, Einhorn’s Greenlight Capital.
Fishback is ready to face off towards President Trump-backed Rep. Byron Donalds within the GOP major this August to succeed outgoing Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Attorneys for Abrams Fensterman LLP advised a Manhattan federal decide on March 12 that they wished to stop representing Fishback as a result of the candidate had racked up $150,000 in unpaid charges. “Most of this stability has been excellent for greater than 120 days,” Fishback’s lawyer Justin T. Kelton wrote.
Kelton added that Fishback “has knowledgeable the Agency that (i) he’s unable to pay the excellent and overdue stability, and (ii) he will be unable to pay charges which may be incurred for any future work which may be required going ahead.”
Requested for remark Friday, Fishback advised The Publish: “I owe my Mother $20.67 for Chipotle final night time. She is the one one I’ll be paying again.”
Greenlight Capital sued Fishback for allegedly failing to repay two promissory notes price $300,000 the agency prolonged to him throughout his tenure there from 2021 to 2023. Wall Avenue companies generally lend money to workers as a perk, which can be utilized to assist purchase a home, cowl transferring prices, or easy out taxes on a giant bonus.
A Manhattan federal decide granted Greenlight full abstract judgment in March 2025, ordering Fishback to pay about $229,000 plus curiosity.
The newest authorized developments come only a week after a separate arbitration case Fishback filed towards Greenlight was tossed out utterly as a result of he failed to point out up.
“Fishback is cleary a con arist,” stated US Rep. Randy Positive, a Florida Republican. “Proper now, he’s grifting off these he has suckered into supporting his marketing campaign.”
Fishback has constructed up a distinct segment following on social media with a string of antisemitic remarks and calling Donalds, who’s black, a “DEI candidate.”
Fishback claimed that “People shouldn’t die for Israel” after the beginning of the Iran warfare. At a rally on the College of Central Florida in early February, he branded the faculty’s cafeteria meals as “goyslop,” alluding to an alt-right conspiracy principle that unhealthy meals is a Jewish plot towards non-Jews.
Fishback bought consideration final yr by falsely telling media retailers he was working intently on cost-cutting with the Elon Musk-led Division of Authorities Effectivity.
He beforehand advised The Publish that he got here up with the thought to supply DOGE-dividend checks to bizarre People because of financial savings made by the now-defunct division.
Alex Bruesewitz, a media advisor to President Trump, blasted Fishback final November as a “pathological liar,” calling his claims to be concerned with the undertaking “an entire fabrication.” Former DOGE spokeswoman Katie Miller has additionally denied that he had any involvement.
Greenlight Capital sued Fishback in 2024, alleging that he falsely claimed to be the agency’s “Head of Macro” and misstated his funding efficiency of reaping $100 million in income to draw buyers to his new enterprise, Azoria Companions.
Their lawsuit additionally alleged Fishback was a poor performer, persistently failed to satisfy expectations, and was set to be fired for low productiveness earlier than resigning.
The agency additionally accused the junior cash man of violating his employment settlement by sharing confidential portfolio knowledge to assist begin Azoria.
However that enterprise noticed its two flagship exchange-traded funds liquidated by unbiased trustees in December 2025 amid restricted investor curiosity and ongoing litigation involving the agency’s principal.
Fishback has additionally come below scrutiny for a relationship with a 17-year-old highschool scholar. In 2022, the Broward County College District in Florida lower its ties with a debate league Fishback based after studying of his relationship with the younger scholar, who participated in this system.
Fishback has stated the connection started after she turned 18. The pair later lived collectively and have become engaged.
Final yr, the lady — who had additionally labored for the league — sought a protecting injunction, alleging stalking and home violence. Fishback defeated the petition in court docket, denied the allegations, and by no means confronted legal prices.
Congressman Donalds has emerged because the clear frontrunner within the GOP election, scheduled for August, and is closely buoyed by his title recognition and Trump’s endorsement.
Nonetheless, many citizens are undecided. Donalds has backing from 44% of possible GOP major voters in comparison with Fishback’s 5% — leaving 45% undecided, based on a latest ballot from The American Promise.
A survey from the College of North Florida has Fishback — who has steered slapping a “sin tax” on Florida’s Solely Followers creators — forward of Donalds amongst GOP voters aged 18 to 34 by 32% to Donalds’ 8%.
