Ron DeSantis is finding fault with the state’s ballot measure reversing Florida’s abortion ban on multiple fronts, this time with petition organizers.
On Friday, his Office of Election Crimes and Security gave him a 348-page report, accusing the organizers behind Florida’s abortion amendment of committing “widespread petition fraud” in their drive to get the initiative on the ballot next month.
The report said that the state on Friday fined the organizers $328,000.
The report claims that organizers illegally paid circulators by the number of signatures collected, and states that audits estimate that 16.4% of petitions across the state should never have been validated.
Amendment 4 was sponsored by Floridians Protecting Freedom and groups including the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, which plans to contest the fine.
Lauren Brenzel, campaign director for Yes on 4, noted that the state didn’t challenge signatures when it had the chance to in January, but instead waited to release this report one month before the general election.
“This campaign has been run above board and followed state law at every turn,” Brenzel said in a statement. “What we are seeing now is nothing more than dishonest distractions and desperate attempts to silence voters.”
The appearance of the report suggests that the state legislature should change laws to crack down on future petition drives, but it could also lay the groundwork for DeSantis to disqualify or invalidate the amendment.
The measure would add an amendment to the state constitution to protect the right to abortion until fetal viability, which is considered to be somewhere over 20 weeks into pregnancy. And it could be later to preserve the life or health of the woman. The amendment would undo a law that took effect this year banning abortion in most cases after the first six weeks of pregnancy — before many women know they’re pregnant.
Also at MeidasTouchNews and PBS
