ORLANDO, Fla. — In a stunning reversal that has rocked the Florida gubernatorial race, federal officials have flatly denied explosive allegations from a rival candidate that Congressman Byron Donalds is under investigation for sex trafficking — branding the claims “completely false” just one day after they sent shockwaves through the primary campaign.

The dramatic rebuttal came Friday afternoon from both the U.S. Department of Justice and Donalds’ campaign, swiftly dismantling what appeared to be a politically devastating accusation launched by competitor James Fishback just 24 hours earlier.

Fishback, locked in a contentious Republican primary battle with Donalds, took to social media Thursday with a blockbuster claim: that a federal sex trafficking investigation involving U.S. Rep. Cory Mills had expanded to include Donalds. Citing an anonymous “government whistleblower,” Fishback alleged that prosecutors were scrutinizing two specific dates — May 17, 2024, and November 19, 2024 — when the congressmen supposedly traveled to the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland.

“Dates when Congressmen Mills and Donalds are said to have traveled to the MGM National Harbor — a luxury hotel resort in Oxon Hill, Maryland, where they solicited, procured, and paid women for explicit sexual acts,” Fishback’s post read.

Fishback went further, claiming his legal team had “independently verified” the investigation and obtained text messages from a third party confirming that both men were at the resort on those dates. He also asserted that a federal prosecutor had asked the DOJ whether Donalds was under investigation — and that the agency refused to comment, a refusal Fishback contrasted with the DOJ’s recent clearance of fellow Florida Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna.

But the political gambit crumbled within hours.

Donalds’ campaign delivered a terse, defiant response to WKMG-TV on Friday: “Completely false. We will not be distracted by this baseless and defamatory sideshow, and neither should you.”

Then came the hammer blow — the DOJ itself issued a statement unequivocally stating that Fishback’s accusation was not true, effectively severing the legitimacy of the claims at the highest level.

The rapid-fire repudiation raises serious questions about Fishback’s sources and the veracity of his allegations, potentially damaging his own campaign just weeks before the primaries. Political analysts suggest the failed attack could backfire spectacularly, galvanizing support for Donalds while leaving Fishback to answer for what appears to be an unsubstantiated smear.

Fishback has had a contentious relationship with Donalds throughout the primary season, with both men vying for the Republican nomination in a race that has grown increasingly bitter. But this latest maneuver — invoking the specter of a federal sex trafficking probe, one of the most damaging accusations possible in modern politics — appears to have crossed a line.

As of Friday evening, Fishback had not responded to the DOJ’s denial, and his campaign remained silent on whether he would retract or defend his claims.

With the primary election looming later this month, the controversy has injected a new level of volatility into the race — but for now, federal prosecutors have spoken, and Donalds has emerged unscathed from what could have been a career-ending accusation.