A.G. Gancarski
Jacksonville’s Zakee Furqan achieved prominence during the 2015 Jacksonville mayoral campaign when he was part of a group of “business leaders” endorsing Alvin Brown.
That endorsement became a liability when news of his felony rap sheet, including a murder conviction, was reported.
The Brown campaign quickly repudiated that endorsement, and donated Furqan’s campaign contribution to charity, yet the Furqan affair became symbolic of the chaotic nature of that re-election campaign.
Furqan now has renewed his battle with the judicial system, fighting three counts of voter fraud charges for voting in three elections, one in 2014 and two in 2015, without his voting rights restored.
However, so far the most recent battle is a stalemate. A hung jury was declared during Wednesday’s proceedings, and the state is moving toward a retrial of Furqan on voting fraud charges March 28, according to a letter from Clerk of Court Ronnie Fussell to Furqan’s bondsman, Big Nate Bail Bond.
