Dade City pair submitted over 100 fake signatures for abortion ballot initiative: FDLE
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Two Dade City residents were accused of submitting fake ballot initiative signatures to Florida election officials.
On Tuesday, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) announced charges against George Edward Andrews III, 30, and Jamie L. Johnson, 47, related to their work as paid signature collectors.
Florida Supreme Court to hear pivotal battle over abortion
According to FDLE, officials with the Election Crimes Division began investigating the pair after they submitted 133 invalid petitions in Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas and Sumter counties for an abortion rights ballot initiative. The alleged fraudulent signatures didn’t make a dent in the measure’s overall count, which is approaching one million valid signatures, well exceeding the 891,523 required to qualify for the ballot.
Andrews and Johnson were charged with criminal use of personal identification information (10 counts) and signing another person’s name or a fictitious name to a petition (10 counts). Andrews was booked into the Hernando County Jail, but Johnson has yet to be arrested.
“In Florida, our elections will continue to be fair and honest,” FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass said in a statement. “Our FDLE inspectors will investigate every allegation of voter fraud because our elections must remain free from those willing to commit fraud at the expense of all voters.”
The pair may face additional charges, according to FDLE.
The abortion rights initiative qualified for the ballot last month, but still faces a major hurdle in the Florida Supreme Court. Justices are set to hear oral arguments in the case on Wednesday as part of the crucial judicial review process, which could dash abortion advocates’ hopes of weighing in on the measure in November.
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