Florida’s Office of Statewide Prosecution has asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to open dozens of election-fraud investigations tied to petition gathering for a proposed constitutional amendment that would legalize adult personal use of marijuana in Florida.
In a Jan. 20 letter to FDLE’s Office of Executive Investigations, Statewide Prosecutor Brad McVay said his office received “concerning documents” that were produced by Smart & Safe Florida during discovery in a federal lawsuit (Florida Decides Healthcare, Inc., et al. v. Cord Byrd, et al.), which is pending in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida.
The discovery materials include text messages in which Smart & Safe Florida representatives discuss terminating petition circulators after allegations they submitted forged or fraudulent initiative petitions tied to an adult marijuana proposal.
According to the letter, the documents identify about 55 petition circulators and prosecutors said they confirmed through Florida Department of State records that at least 50 were registered to collect petitions for Smart & Safe Florida. The office asked FDLE to open election-fraud investigations into each of the circulators listed and assign an agent to each case under the prosecution office’s investigative leadership.
The letter said the 50 circulators submitted approximately 21,636 initiative petitions and that roughly 7,110 of those petitions have been verified as valid by Florida supervisors of elections.
McVay’s letter also cited allegations contained in the text messages, including claims that some circulators continued working after concerns were raised, and that at least one circulator allegedly used a false identity to register with the state and collect petitions under that identity. The letter said other messages referenced a circulator who was “just fired this weekend for insurance fraud” and accused of submitting fraudulent petitions.
The letter said two circulators referenced in the materials are already under active criminal investigation, and that two other circulators have been arrested and charged with felonies related to their petition work.
The prosecution office said it also plans to issue four criminal subpoenas to Smart & Safe Florida and its contractors and subcontractors for records related to the allegations and other election-fraud prosecutions.
