Florida could soon vote to make abortion a constitutional right, after a campaign to put the amendment on November’s ballot gathered enough signatures. Yet questions are now being raised about the campaign’s legitimacy, after two abortion activists were charged with putting fake signatures on the petition.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) charged two paid petition collectors with submitting phony signatures. The two were named in the FDLE press release as 30-year-old George Edward Andrews III and 47-year-old Jamie L. Johnson. The two are accused of having “submitted 133 invalid constitutional amendment petitions in multiple counties,” and were caught following an investigation led by FDLE’s Election Crime Unit (ECU), along with the Florida Department of State Office of Election Crimes and Security (OECS).
Andrews was arrested and booked into the Hernando County Jail on 10 felony counts each of criminal use of personal identification information and signing another person’s name or a fictitious name to a petition, while Johnson has not yet been apprehended, though a warrant is out for her arrest. She is facing 10 felony counts each of criminal use of personal identification information and signing another person’s name or a fictitious name to a petition.
“In Florida, our elections will continue to be fair and honest,” FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass said. “Our FDLE inspectors will investigate every allegation of voter fraud because our elections must remain free from those willing to commit fraud at the expense of all voters.”
Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd added, “Florida’s Constitution is a sacred document and there is a lawful method by which voters can make amendments. However, when criminals seek to circumvent that process fraudulently, this is an affront to Floridians and the sanctity of our laws, and we will do everything within our power to ensure that Floridians and our Constitution are protected.”
891,500 signatures were required by the state to put the ballot measure before voters, and the Florida Division of Elections verified over 911,000 signatures. While details about Andrews and Johnson are not yet known — such as any potential affiliation with the abortion industry — the signatures were gathered by Floridians Protecting Freedom, a political committee supported by the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, the American Civil Liberties Union, and other pro-abortion groups.
The Florida Supreme Court is currently hearing arguments regarding the wording of the potential constitutional amendment.
