Brevard Republican Executive Committee rejects 2020 election results, citing false 'fraud' claims

Update: This story has been updated to include a statement from Brevard County Supervisor of Elections Lori Scott.

As the U.S. House Jan. 6 committee continues to investigate the 2021 Capitol riots, sparked by former President Donald Trump's debunked claims of widespread election fraud, the Brevard Republican Executive Committee passed a resolution Wednesday rejecting the results of the 2020 election.

Citing unproven "substantial election fraud in key metropolitan areas" in five states, the resolution declares that Biden was "not legitimately elected by the people of the United States," according to a draft document obtained by FLORIDA TODAY.

"Large-scale election fraud in other states, while choosing electors, has resulted in Brevard County Florida voters being disenfranchised in the political election process by having their votes stolen," the resolution says.

Brevard broke heavily for Trump in 2020, who received 57.5% of the vote compared to 41% for Biden, and ultimately helped to send Florida's 29 electoral votes to the former president.

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The document adopts the same language as a resolution approved by the Texas GOP at its state convention last month, and subsequently passed by local Republican chapters in Arizona and Wisconsin.

It also declares support for recent controversial election reform bills signed into law by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — including Senate Bill 90, key parts of which were struck down by a federal judge in March, who ruled the law discriminated against Black voters — and called on Brevard Republicans to volunteer as poll watchers in the coming elections.

The struck provisions were reinstated by an appeals court in May as the case continues.

"Make sure all your Republican friends, family and neighbors vote in the Primary Election on August 23rd 2022 and in the General Election on November 8th 2022 to ensure that Republicans overwhelm any possible election fraud in Brevard County and elsewhere in Florida," the resolution says.

Rick Lacey, chair of the Brevard Republican Executive Committee, did not immediately return a request for comment.

In a statement, Brevard Supervisor of Elections Lori Scott said she "couldn't speak" to other states, but had "the utmost confidence in the laws that govern our state’s electoral process."

"I also think it’s important to remember Florida was upheld as the model nationwide of how to run fair, transparent, and efficient elections,” Scott said.

Trump's false claims that Democrats "stole" the 2020 election through widespread fraud in key swing states have been amplified by many of his supporters and Republican officials across the country.

The unsubstantiated claims, which have been rejected by Trump Administration officials as well as a slew of judges, have been blamed for the Washington D.C. riots on Jan. 6, 2021, in which a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol in an effort to stop the certification of the election results.

More than 850 people have been arrested in connection with the incident, including at least seven from Brevard County.

Among them was Kenneth Harrelson of Titusville, a member of the far-right Oath Keepers, who was charged alongside 10 other members of the paramilitary group with seditious conspiracy for their role in the attempted insurrection.

Harrelson's case continues to make its way through federal court.

Eric Rogers is a watchdog reporter for FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Rogers at 321-242-3717 or esrogers@floridatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter: @EricRogersFT.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Brevard Republican committee rejects 2020 election results