U.S. Representative Byron Donalds, a prominent Republican and a favored candidate for Florida governor, is facing a civil lawsuit accusing him of confronting and threatening a constituent in a Naples gourmet grocery store in August 2022. The lawsuit claims Donalds cornered Kelly Mason, founder of Mason Classical Academy, and vowed to "crush" or "finish" her following a dispute over a separate legal matter involving his wife, Erika Donalds.
The incident occurred at a watch party for a local school board race that Mason later won. Mason alleges that Donalds, accompanied by two staffers, aggressively confronted her while she was with her husband and young children. Video footage of the encounter shows Donalds shouting at Mason, stating, "End it Kelly. Kelly you want to end it? Stop the lawsuits." Mason can be heard responding, "Tell the truth." Donalds then reportedly said, "I'm going to go, but I'm tired of this. Don't do it in court, do it right now."
Mason told the Daily Mail that Donalds became "very belligerent, raising his voice, yelling at me; it was about dropping this lawsuit." She claims he threatened to "crush me and come after me" and insisted she drop the lawsuit against his wife. The confrontation took place at Seed to Table, a store described as a MAGA hub.
At the time of the grocery store incident, Mason was involved in litigation against Erika Donalds and others concerning the alleged hostile takeover of Mason Classical Academy. Mason founded the school in 2012, and Byron Donalds later joined its governing board, while Erika Donalds joined its advisory board. Mason's lawsuit against the Donalds, settled in December 2024, included 18 counts such as conspiracy and racketeering, with allegations that the couple sought to profit from expanding the school.
The current civil lawsuit against Byron Donalds alleges that his "demeanor, physical positioning, and coordinated actions were calculated to place [Mason] in immediate fear of bodily harm and succeeded in doing exactly that." It further states that a senior advisor for Donalds "pursued [Mason] through the store while yelling and creating a public disturbance" after the initial confrontation.
Donalds' campaign has dismissed the lawsuit as "tabloid nonsense" and a "baseless, politically motivated attack." The lawsuit comes over a month before Florida's gubernatorial primary election, where Donalds is a leading candidate. He received an endorsement from former President Donald Trump in May, who described Donalds as a "total winner."