Gubernatorial Candidate James Fishback Sued for Unpaid Scholarship Funds

Briana Whatley, a Florida State University student and former high school debate champion, filed a lawsuit in Broward County small claims court against James Fishback and his organization, Incubate Foundation Inc. Whatley seeks $8,000 in unpaid scholarship winnings from Incubate Debate, a competition founded by Fishback. Although she won a total of $11,000, she alleges that only $3,000 was paid via Zelle in December.

The lawsuit accuses Fishback of defrauding Whatley by ignoring communications and inventing an unwritten installment policy to avoid payment. According to the filing, Fishback reportedly admitted he "totally dropped the ball on this one" regarding the missing funds.

Fishback, 31, is currently competing for the Republican nomination for Governor of Florida in a primary scheduled for August 18, facing opponents Byron Donalds and Jay Collins. He recently overcame a legal attempt by Collins to remove him from the ballot after a judge in Tallahassee ruled he met residency requirements. A pretrial conference for the scholarship dispute is scheduled for September 9.