Photo: Alamy
Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., made an explosive announcement Thursday afternoon, revealing the arrests of nearly two dozen individuals for election crimes in Florida.
According to a press release, 20 individuals are being arrested by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) following investigations by both the FDLE and the Florida Office of Election Crimes and Security.
The individuals were charged with voter fraud, a third-degree felony that is publishable by up to a $5,000 fine and up to five years in prison, after voting in 2020, even though they were disqualified from doing after being convicted of murder or a felony sexual offense.
Charges stemmed from multiple counties such as Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami Dade, the Washington Examiner noted.
DeSantis warned against committing election crimes, saying:
“In 2020, Florida ran an efficient, transparent election that avoided the major problems we saw in other states. At the same time, the election was not perfect, which is why we continue our efforts to ensure the integrity of our elections. Our new election crimes office has sprung into action to hold individuals accountable for voter fraud. Today’s actions send a clear signal to those who are thinking about ballot harvesting or fraudulently voting. If you commit an elections crime, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Director of the Office of Election Crimes and Security Peter Antonacci, who DeSantis appointed in July, echoed similar sentiments.
“I’m glad to be a part of a team that is working hard to secure our elections,” Antonacci claimed, according to the press release. “Our team of highly skilled investigators will conduct a thorough investigation, and if any evidence of election crime is found, there will be criminal sanctions.”