Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has announced that his new Office of Election Crimes and Security has arrested 20 individuals on voter fraud charges.
DeSantis revealed the arrests during a Thursday press conference where he announced a major crackdown on election crimes across the state.
The individuals were reportedly arrested for illegally voting despite having been convicted of murder or sexual assault.
“They did not get their rights restored and yet they went ahead and voted anyways,” DeSantis said.
“That is against the law and now they’re going to pay the price for it.”
“I also want to be very clear going forward that we’re going to continue to make sure that our laws are rigorously enforced,” he said.
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“As elected leaders, it is incumbent on us to ensure free and fair elections and instill confidence in the voting process,” Attorney General Ashley Moody said in a statement.
“No voting system can stand without the backing and confidence of the people it serves, and thanks to Governor DeSantis, we are reinforcing that trust, and Florida’s elections system will serve as the standard-bearer for the rest of the nation.”
#BREAKING: Gov. Ron DeSantis announces his new Office of Election Crimes and Security has charged and is arresting 20 individuals across Florida for voter fraud
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) August 18, 2022
In July, DeSantis announced the appointment of Peter Antonacci as Director of the Office of Election Crimes and Security.
The office is a division of the Department of State.
“I applaud the Florida Legislature and Governor Ron DeSantis for creating the Florida Office of Election Crimes and Security to help ensure the integrity of our elections,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at the time.
“Having confidence that when we cast our vote, it is counted fairly, is critical to our representative democracy.”
