‘Doesn’t smell right’: Florida GOP takes aim at Bloomberg over felons voting money – By Dara Kam and Jim Turner (Tallahassee Democrat) / Sept 23 2020
Gov. Ron DeSantis, Attorney General Ashley Moody and state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis called for investigations Wednesday into former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg joining the effort to help Florida felons pay outstanding legal fees so they can register to vote in November.
Moody, saying her office was acting at the request of DeSantis, asked the FBI and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate Bloomberg raising at least $16 million for the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, contending it could be a violation of state laws against offering incentives to people or groups in exchange for voting in a particular manner.
“After preliminarily reviewing this limited public information and law, it appears further investigation is warranted,” Moody wrote to Michael McPherson, special agent in charge of the Tampa office of the FBI, and Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Richard Swearingen. “Accordingly, I request that your agencies further investigate this matter and take appropriate steps as merited.”
Patronis, a Republican like DeSantis and Moody, asked the Florida Elections Commission to determine if Bloomberg’s contribution to the non-profit is trying to illegally influence the outcome of Florida’s November election.
Continue to article: https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/tlhelections2020/2020/09/23/doesnt-smell-right-florida-gop-takes-aim-bloomberg-over-felons-voting-money/3511040001/
