Florida lawmakers back the creation of an election crimes investigative office
2 years, 9 months ago

Florida lawmakers back the creation of an election crimes investigative office

NPR  

Florida lawmakers back the creation of an election crimes investigative office Enlarge this image toggle caption John Raoux/AP John Raoux/AP Florida lawmakers have sent to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis legislation that would create a dedicated investigative unit for alleged election crimes, part of a broader bill that would, for the second year in a row, enact new voting restrictions in the state. The measure, which the GOP-led House passed along party lines Wednesday evening, would create an Office of Election Crimes and Security within the Department of State to probe "allegations of election law violations or election irregularities." "The only thing I can think is we are motivated by the 'Big Lie,' " state Sen. Lori Berman said, according to Florida Politics, referencing Trump's election lies.

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History of this topic

Florida’s new state lawmakers may test DeSantis’ influence in final years of his term
1 month ago

Florida’s new state lawmakers may test DeSantis’ influence in final years of his term

Associated Press  

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida’s upcoming legislative session could test Republican Gov. Florida’s incoming legislative leaders formally took their oaths of office Tuesday, ceremonially marking the start of the final two years of DeSantis’ second term at the helm of unified GOP control. In his opening speech to state lawmakers on Tuesday in Tallahassee, incoming Florida Senate President Ben Albritton applauded …

Election Fraud Conspiracy Theories Are Already Thriving Online
54 years, 11 months ago

Election Fraud Conspiracy Theories Are Already Thriving Online

Wired  

Election workers in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, are not destroying mail-in ballots cast for former president Donald Trump. The Department of Defense did not issue a directive last month giving US soldiers unprecedented authority to use lethal force against Trump supporters who riot if the former president loses next week. These are just a small sample of the flood of voting-related …

Prosecutors have messages linking Trump's team to Georgia voting system breach
1 year, 4 months ago

Prosecutors have messages linking Trump's team to Georgia voting system breach

Salon  

Prosecutors investigating potential shadiness relating to Trump's team making efforts to fiddle with the 2020 election results in Georgia have gained access to text messages and emails proving that to be the case. They've also "gathered evidence indicating it was a top-down push by Trump's team to access sensitive voting software," per sources familiar with the matter. Per the outlet's …

Trump’s response to criminal charges revives election lies
1 year, 8 months ago

Trump’s response to criminal charges revives election lies

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Legally, the most important words former President Donald Trump said after he was charged with 34 felonies by the Manhattan District Attorney last week were “not guilty.” But, politically, the most significant may be “election interference.” Trump’s repetition of those words, which have been taken up by other top Republicans, show how he is trying to turn …

Georgia election probe report to remain secret for now
1 year, 11 months ago

Georgia election probe report to remain secret for now

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — A judge said Tuesday that a final report produced by a special grand jury tasked with investigating whether then-President Donald Trump and his allies broke the law as they tried to overturn his 2020 election defeat in Georgia will remain under wraps for now. “Because we won the state.” A coalition of news organizations, including The Associated Press, …

New state voter fraud units finding few cases from midterms
2 years ago

New state voter fraud units finding few cases from midterms

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — State-level law enforcement units created after the 2020 presidential election to investigate voter fraud are looking into scattered complaints more than two weeks after the midterms but have provided no indication of systemic problems. “I am not aware of any significant detection of fraud on Election Day, but that’s not surprising,” said Paul Smith, senior vice president of …

DOJ asked to investigate Trump's claims he sent FBI to help Ron DeSantis win in 2018
2 years, 1 month ago

DOJ asked to investigate Trump's claims he sent FBI to help Ron DeSantis win in 2018

Raw Story  

U.S. Attorney Merrick Garland was asked to investigate former President Donald Trump's claim that he sent the Federal Bureau of Investigations agents to ensure that Ron DeSantis won his race for governor in 2018. "I was all in for Ron, and he beat Gillum, but after the race, when votes were being stolen by the corrupt Election process in Broward …

Granderson: The 'election police' don't need to be right to be effective
2 years, 1 month ago

Granderson: The 'election police' don't need to be right to be effective

LA Times  

If it were just Florida Gov. As you may recall, President Trump chirped about “voter fraud” for months after his inauguration because he couldn’t handle the fact he had lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton. Back in 2018, the Lone Star State — and its eager-to-please attorney general, Ken Paxton — used Trump’s lies about 2016 to justify creating …

Florida man becomes first to escape charges resulting from DeSantis’ election fraud raid
2 years, 2 months ago

Florida man becomes first to escape charges resulting from DeSantis’ election fraud raid

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A court dropped on Florida man’s election fraud charges, making …

DeSantis’ election police unit announces voter fraud cases
2 years, 4 months ago

DeSantis’ election police unit announces voter fraud cases

Associated Press  

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday announced criminal charges against 20 people for illegally voting in 2020, the first major public move from the Republican’s controversial new election police unit. “That is against the law and now they’re gonna pay the price for it.” DeSantis, an ascendant Republican and potential 2024 presidential candidate, pushed the state legislature …

Congresswoman calls for federal probe into Florida utility
2 years, 4 months ago

Congresswoman calls for federal probe into Florida utility

Associated Press  

ORLANDO, Fla. — A U.S. congresswoman is asking the Department of Justice to investigate Florida Power & Light over claims that the utility used “dark money” to disguise sources of political funding and sway elections in Florida, as well as other allegations documented in recent news reports. U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., said in a letter to Attorney General Merrick …

Election leaders urge openness to dispel misinformation
2 years, 5 months ago

Election leaders urge openness to dispel misinformation

Associated Press  

MADISON, Wis. — The key to dispelling conspiracy theories and misinformation about how elections are run is to confront the lies head on, top state election officials said Wednesday. “When it comes to election results, it’s really pretty simple,” said Blake Evans, state elections director for Georgia. Unfortunately, usually under that kind of formula, there’s going to be slightly less …

Georgia election officials dispute film’s voter fraud claims
2 years, 7 months ago

Georgia election officials dispute film’s voter fraud claims

Associated Press  

ATLANTA — The Republican head of Georgia’s election board said Tuesday a recently released film alleging ballots were illegally collected and dropped off during the 2020 presidential election falsely suggests there were tens of thousands of illegitimate votes in the state. “It’s just the manner of its delivery was illegal.” The movie uses research from the Texas-based nonprofit True the …

Florida governor signs bill creating election police unit
2 years, 7 months ago

Florida governor signs bill creating election police unit

Associated Press  

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Monday to create a police force dedicated to pursuing voter fraud and other election crimes, embracing a top priority of Republicans after former President Donald Trump’s false claims that his reelection was stolen. The new law comes after the Republican governor made voting legislation a focus this year, pushing the …

Some GOP states seek new police units for election probes
2 years, 9 months ago

Some GOP states seek new police units for election probes

Associated Press  

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Republicans responding to the myth of widespread voter fraud are turning to a new tactic to appease voters who believe the claims: election police. The efforts to establish law enforcement units dedicated to investigating election crimes come as Republican lawmakers and governors move to satisfy the millions of voters in their party who believe former President Donald …

Florida House passes election police bill, sends it to gov
2 years, 9 months ago

Florida House passes election police bill, sends it to gov

Associated Press  

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida lawmakers on Wednesday passed a voting law package that would create a police force dedicated to pursuing election crimes, a proposal pushed by Republican Gov. The bill would create an Office of Election Crimes and Security under the Florida Department of State that would review fraud allegations and conduct preliminary investigations. DeSantis would be required to …

'That is fraud': Report gives new details into Florida GOP scheme to trick voters into switching parties
2 years, 9 months ago

'That is fraud': Report gives new details into Florida GOP scheme to trick voters into switching parties

Raw Story  

Republican Party canvassers tricked more than 100 South Florida voters — many of them elderly and/or immigrants — into switching their party affiliation to the GOP last year, according to a bombshell investigative report published Friday by the Miami Herald. The newspaper sent a team of reporters to eight low-income housing projects in Hialeah and Little Havana, where voter registration …

DeSantis election police force panned as ‘a door prize for a QAnon pep rally’
2 years, 11 months ago

DeSantis election police force panned as ‘a door prize for a QAnon pep rally’

Raw Story  

Efforts by Florida Gov. '” Jonathan Diaz, a voting rights lawyer at the nonprofit Campaign Legal Center, questioned the need for such a police force. “There’s a reason that there’s no office of this size with this kind of unlimited investigative authority in any other state in the country, and it’s because election crimes and voter fraud are just not …

Questions remain about GOP’s election ‘investigation’
3 years, 1 month ago

Questions remain about GOP’s election ‘investigation’

Associated Press  

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Many questions remain unanswered Tuesday as to what Republicans in Pennsylvania’s Senate can accomplish from what they call a “forensic investigation” into last year’s presidential election now that they have hired a contractor that has not pointed to any experience in elections. Pressed for details about his aims, Lahr said only that his team will examine last …

Florida governor calls for election police force
3 years, 1 month ago

Florida governor calls for election police force

Associated Press  

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Citing unspecified examples of election fraud, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday pledged to create a law enforcement agency to investigate election crimes as part of a new package of voting laws. Speaking at an event in West Palm Beach, the Republican governor announced a series of election law proposals for lawmakers to take up during next …

GOP pushes unfounded fraud claims before California recall
3 years, 3 months ago

GOP pushes unfounded fraud claims before California recall

Associated Press  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Republicans were trying to contain a fire of their own making a day before voting ends in the recall election against Democratic Gov. Larry Elder, one of the leading Republican candidates seeking to replace Newsom if the recall succeeds, has said he believes “there might very well be shenanigans, as there were in the 2020 election.” …

Trump’s efforts to subvert the 2020 presidential election could put future fair elections in jeopardy
3 years, 3 months ago

Trump’s efforts to subvert the 2020 presidential election could put future fair elections in jeopardy

CNN  

Editor’s Note: This story contains disturbing language. “On a daily basis … we’re told that we need to go in, go to jail – either on social media, phone calls to the office, emails – and the threats do continue,” said Bill Gates, a Republican member of the board, adding that last month, “My colleagues and I all were treated …

‘Just say the election was corrupt,’ Trump told US Justice Dept
3 years, 4 months ago

‘Just say the election was corrupt,’ Trump told US Justice Dept

Al Jazeera  

Notes of a call between Trump and a top Justice official are another example of his pressure campaign to overturn the election. President Donald Trump urged senior US Department of Justice officials to declare the 2020 election results “corrupt” in a December phone call, according to handwritten notes from one of the participants in the conversation. “Understand that the DOJ …

Editorial: The ‘Big Lie’ comes to California
3 years, 5 months ago

Editorial: The ‘Big Lie’ comes to California

LA Times  

Election Integrity Project California touts itself as a nonpartisan elections watchdog whose mission is “to defend the integrity of the voting process that protects our freedoms and way of life.” On the face of it, that sounds noble. Earlier this year, the group and 13 failed GOP congressional candidates sued the state of California, citing “mass irregularities and opportunities for …

Public corruption investigation links prominent Republicans across Florida
3 years, 6 months ago

Public corruption investigation links prominent Republicans across Florida

Raw Story  

A trial is set to begin in Aug. for a Tallahassee-based political organization, reported the Miami Herald. "The eight-month investigation is focused on former Sen. Frank Artiles, a Republican operative, Alexis 'Pedro' Rodriguez, an auto-parts dealer with financial woes and an alleged plot to successfully sway the outcome of Miami-Dade's Senate District 37 race in favor of the Republican candidate," …

Whose ‘Big Lie’? Trump’s proclamation a new GOP litmus test
3 years, 7 months ago

Whose ‘Big Lie’? Trump’s proclamation a new GOP litmus test

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump and his supporters are intensifying efforts to shame — and potentially remove — members of their party who are seen as disloyal to the former president and his false claims that last year’s election was stolen from him. “It’s scary,” said Michael Wood, the Texas Republican congressional candidate who based his campaign on a vow to …

Whose ‘Big Lie’? Trump’s proclamation a new GOP litmus test
3 years, 7 months ago

Whose ‘Big Lie’? Trump’s proclamation a new GOP litmus test

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump and his supporters are intensifying efforts to shame — and potentially remove — members of their party who are seen as disloyal to the former president and his false claims that last year’s election was stolen from him. “It’s scary,” said Michael Wood, the Texas Republican congressional candidate who based his campaign on a vow to …

'Outrageous' criminal plot to steal election for Florida GOP part of a 'much larger scheme': CNN analyst
3 years, 9 months ago

'Outrageous' criminal plot to steal election for Florida GOP part of a 'much larger scheme': CNN analyst

Raw Story  

On Thursday, former Florida state Sen. Frank Artiles was arrested for illegally spending money to prop up a fake candidate to siphon voters from Democrats in a South Florida state senate race where "Latinas for Trump" founder Ileana Garcia beat a Democratic incumbent by a few dozen votes in 2020. Speaking on CNN, former GOP strategist and Never Trump analyst …

Newly Revealed Call Details How Trump Pressed Georgia Investigator To Find Vote Fraud
3 years, 9 months ago

Newly Revealed Call Details How Trump Pressed Georgia Investigator To Find Vote Fraud

NPR  

Newly Revealed Call Details How Trump Pressed Georgia Investigator To Find Vote Fraud Enlarge this image toggle caption Joe Raedle/Getty Images Joe Raedle/Getty Images In a newly revealed phone call, President Donald Trump asked a Georgia law enforcement official to find evidence of fraud with absentee-by-mail ballots, the latest revelation in his unsuccessful attempt to overturn the state's election results. …

Florida is a model for voting. The GOP wants change anyway.
3 years, 10 months ago

Florida is a model for voting. The GOP wants change anyway.

Associated Press  

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida was a model citizen when it came to elections in 2020. Florida Republicans’ push to change voting laws shows how deep false claims about mass voter fraud spread by Trump have burrowed into Republicans’ belief system. “We cannot comprehend where they’re coming from,” said Anjenys Gonzalez-Eilert of Florida Common Cause, noting the GOP has long been …

Election officials say combating lies will be big challenge
3 years, 10 months ago

Election officials say combating lies will be big challenge

Associated Press  

After an election season dominated by conspiracy theories and false claims about voting, top election officials across the country say they already are bracing for what comes next. “It’s unfortunate that is the case that we have now.” Jared Dearing, executive director for the State Board of Elections in Kentucky, said people still contact his office believing the presidential election …

Election officials say combating lies will be big challenge
3 years, 10 months ago

Election officials say combating lies will be big challenge

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “It’s unfortunate that is the case that we …

Trump’s own FBI director shoots down his bogus conspiracy theories about mass voter fraud
4 years, 3 months ago

Trump’s own FBI director shoots down his bogus conspiracy theories about mass voter fraud

Salon  

While Democrats are encouraging voting by mail because of the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump continues to attack the process and vehemently insists, without evidence, that mail-in voting encourages voter fraud. During his testimony, Wray told Democratic Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, "We take all election-related threats seriously, whether it's voter fraud, voter suppression — whether it's in person, whether …

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