Amontree committee backs both Punta Gorda Council challengers

A political committee bearing Charlotte County Commission candidate Kim Amontree’s name has reported $500 contributions to each of Punta Gorda’s two City Council challengers—Gary Butler in District 4 and George Williamson in District 1.

The newest entry, dated October 5, identifies the Gary Butler Campaign Account as the recipient and describes the purpose as “PUNTA GORDA CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT 4.” It appears in Friends of Kim Amontree’s October 3–9 G4A report.

The committee previously listed a $500 expenditure to the George Williamson campaign dated August 26. Williamson’s signed city-filed G‑2 report records a $500 check from Friends of Kim Amontree on August 27. Those are the outgoing and incoming records for the earlier support, with the dates retained as filed.

Friends of Kim AmontreeState-filed political committee → reported support for city candidates

George Williamson

City Council · District 1 challenger

$500

Committee expenditure: August 26
City campaign receipt: August 27

Gary Butler

City Council · District 4 challenger

$500

Committee expenditure: October 5
Matching city receipt not yet verified

The two reported payments total $1,000 across different reporting periods. They are expenditures of Amontree’s committee, not expenditures of her candidate campaign account. Williamson’s matching receipt is documented; Butler’s remains to be reconciled.

A committee’s reach can extend beyond one contest

The $1,000 illustrates a feature of the campaign-finance system that Protect Local Power is tracking: money raised by a political committee bearing one candidate’s name can support candidates in other races.

Friends of Kim Amontree files separately from Amontree’s own County Commission campaign. Its contributions to the two challengers are also distinct from Friends of George Williamson, the separate state committee that reported a $16,500 contribution from Southwest Florida Jobs Alliance and $5,445.24 in direct-mail spending. The two $500 payments examined here name the challengers’ candidate campaign accounts as recipients.

The filings document financial support. They do not establish that Amontree directed either city campaign, that any contribution purchased a commitment, or how the recipients spent those particular dollars.

The latest report also shows new local fundraising

Amontree’s committee reported $7,235 from ten contributors during October 3–9. Every listed address is within Charlotte, DeSoto, Lee or Sarasota counties, Protect Local Power’s definition of local. Those contributions brought the committee’s inception-to-date contribution total to $157,260.

Local sources now account for 40.7% of that total, while known sources outside the four counties account for 58.7%; 0.6% remains unresolved. The latest $674.81 in spending consists of the $500 Butler payment and $174.81 in payment-processing charges.

Inspect the records

Friends of Kim Amontree’s official state activity: select October 3–9, 2026 and Expenditures for the Butler payment; select August 22–28 for the earlier Williamson expenditure.
Williamson’s signed G‑2 report, page 2, a copy of the city filing recording the August 27 receipt. The cover shows submission September 10, 2026.
Punta Gorda’s official public filing index and Amontree’s committee registration.
Search committee transactions · Search city campaign contributions · Campaign Finance 101.

State records were publicly verified October 16; the state activity screen does not display a submission timestamp. G4A is a scheduled report, not an amendment. Candidate photographs are from campaign sources and identify the people discussed. Read the reporting disclosure and corrections policy.

Also reported today: Oliver committee takes $22,500—all from outside the community →