A large Republican donor, known for writing disturbing messages about political figures, died last week in an apparent attempted murder-suicide.
Steve Alembik’s body was found near a beach with a woman he allegedly shot. He was a donor to former President Trump and to Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL).
Alembik, who was 72 years old, shot himself and an unidentified woman in the parking lot of a BurgerFi outlet in Delray Beach on October 10, according to a report by the Miami Herald.
The donor was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman, who is in her 40s, survived the shooting. She’s believed to be Alembik’s wife. She ran into the fast-food outlet with gunshot wounds to her arm and back. The woman was then transported to a nearby hospital.
Tragic news: I’ve learned Steve Alembik has died.
I met Steve in 2018 (Pictured), wearing his unforgettable American flag suit in Palm Beach, FL. I knew him to be a passionate man, a fighter, a philanthropist, a data scientist, and someone who was always transparent with me… pic.twitter.com/JzGGKrq4QL
— James O’Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) October 12, 2023
Alembik was a major donor to the GOP. He reportedly made over $200,000 in political contributions during the past 20 years. Those included thousands given to the Trump and DeSantis campaigns, according to the Miami Herald.
He gained notoriety after calling former President Obama a “f***ing Muslim N*****.” Alembik also claimed then-Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg “can’t die soon enough.” He later asserted he was not racist and regretted the tweets he sent out at the time. However, he insisted he should be allowed to use the “n-word.”
“So somebody like Chris Rock can get up on stage and use the word and there’s no problem? But some white guy says it and he’s a racist? Really?” he said to Politico at the time.
“I grew up in New York in the ‘50s,” Alembik stated as if that was grounds for using the word. “We were the ki**s. They were the n*****s. They were the goyim, and those were the sp**s.”
Hoping he found the peace he could not find on earth~
Rest easy— dented_halo (@Desert_Dawn04) October 12, 2023
Alembik was a colorful individual who was a staunch Republican.
“At the time of the tweet, Alembik — who was known for his flamboyant flag suit — donated to both then-Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who was running for Senate, and to DeSantis, who was seeking to take Scott’s place in the governor’s mansion,” the New York Post reported.
Republicans distanced themselves from Alembik. Scott said that he donated the $1,100 that the donor gave his campaign to Shriners Hospital.
“A political action committee supporting DeSantis’ campaign also returned $11,000 it received from the self-employed data and email services provider, but the campaign said $4,000 given separately had already been spent and could not be refunded,” the New York Post wrote.
“Steve Alembik’s passion for his country and dedication to the mission of truth were truly inspiring. I’ll always remember his American flag suit and the encouragement he provided to those around him. Rest in peace, Steve. ️”
— Professor (@Engr_Talha007) October 12, 2023
The DeSantis campaign denounced Alembik’s tweet at the time and refused to take any more donations from him, according to the Miami Herald. However, records show that Desantis’ re-election campaign and a state PAC supporting it, Friends of Ron DeSantis, accepted over $5,000 from him in 2021 and 2022.
The Washington Post also reported that Alembik relocated a charity gala for his pro-Israel nonprofit, Truth About Israel, to Mar-a-Lago following Trump saying there were “many fine people” in Charlotteville. That statement caused almost 20 charities to cancel their events at Mar-a-Lago.
When he got wind of other “spineless” organizations who intended to cancel their events at Mar-a-Lago, he recounted, “I picked up the phone, I call Mar-a-Lago, they think I’m calling to cancel some other gala or some event, and I said no. I’d like to come here and show our support for the president of the United States.”
The Miami Herald claimed that he worked with a promoter concerning ticket sales for an event using Chinese social media platforms. The news outlet said that he suggested to attendees they would have access to Trump. The former president never planned on attending the event.
I’m so sorry to hear this. Some people are truly unforgettable.
— MissS -Silence Dobetter (@utahmom333) October 12, 2023
“This president has had Israel’s back like no president has since the days of Ronald Reagan,” Alembik told the over 400 people who attended the gala.
The New York Post is claiming that those who were close to Alembik said he had a history of mental health problems, including GOP activist Laura Loomer.
Alembik was previously arrested in December 2018 on domestic violence charges. They were later dropped according to the Miami Herald.