Jeb Bush Has A Big Announcement On June 15th
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MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) — Will Jeb Bush run for president in 2016 or not? We'll know in about a week and a half.
The former Florida governor wrote "coming soon" on Twitter with a link to the website jebannouncement.com. On that page, the date 06.15.15 was listed, followed by the tease, "BE THE FIRST TO KNOW. RSVP NOW!" Bush also tweeted it in Spanish, "Próximamente 6.15.15."
The announcement will take place that afternoon at Miami Dade College.
CLICK HERE To Watch Natalia Zea's Report
Aides confirmed Bush had made a decision and that he'll announce it in Miami on June 15th, on the heels of a European trip where he'll visit longtime allies Germany, Poland and Estonia.
Students at the school were excited the plan is to make the announcement on the Kendall campus.
"I'm not surprised at all. This is probably the best place to come for the education system," said Martin Gallardo.
"Governor Bush is thankful for the support and encouragement he has received from so many Americans during the last several months and looks forward to announcing his decision," spokeswoman Kristy Campbell said.
Following the announcement, Bush is expected to tour the early primary states.
Bush's failure to confirm he is running, six months after beginning what looks like a presidential campaign, is no laughing matter to Paul S. Ryan of the DC based non profit Campaign Legal Center.
"Jeb Bush in our view under the law has been a candidate for a few months now. He has been violating federal campaign finance laws in a number of respects so we're glad he's finally coming clean and being honest and admitting what everyone knows- he's running for president," Ryan told CBS4's Natalia Zea.
CLICK HERE To Watch Jim DeFede's Report
His group has filed complaints against Bush with the Federal Elections Commission and the Justice Department accusing him of flagrantly skirting campaign finance laws by directly raising 100-million dollars for his own SuperPac.
"One of the reasons we think investigation and enforcement is really important here is because this will become the new norm. If Jeb Bush gets away with this absurdity. Every candidate in the future is going to do it," said Ryan.
It also appears Bush has been busy in recent days. The buzz around a South Miami Charter School was that Jeb shot a video there. CBS4 caught production crews wrapping up after a big shoot on Thursday.
If he does enter the race, Bush would be entering a crowded primary field that includes Sen. Rand Paul, Sen. Marco Rubio and Sen. Ted Cruz, among others.
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced his bid for the White House on Thursday. Meanwhile, Govs. Scott Walker of Wisconsin and Chris Christie of New Jersey have not yet formally announced their intentions, but have been hiring staff and visiting early-voting states such as Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.
The Bush news was first reported by CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald and the Tampa Bay Times.
By promoting his announcement in this way, Bush is also trying to collect new data about potential supporters. To receive the announcement through the website, voters must provide their name, email address and zip code.
