Renzo Downey
Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis is requesting the Florida Elections Commission investigate Michael Bloomberg for trying to influence the outcome of the Presidential Election in Florida.
Patronis’ call Wednesday comes on the heels of a letter sent by Attorney General Ashley Moody to state and federal investigators questioning the former Democratic Presidential candidate and New York Mayor’s plan to pay off felons‘ debts in Florida to earn them back the right to vote. Moody and Patronis’ requests constitute a full-court press against Bloomberg as he continues to pour funds into Florida, a crucial swing state come the General Election.
Patronis, who served on the Florida Elections Commission from 1998 to 2003, requested the commission investigate whether Bloomberg is trying to illegally influence the outcome of Florida’s election.
“Clearly, Bloomberg is using his money and power to tilt the upcoming election in November,” Patronis said in a letter to the FEC. “If he wants to make a political donation there’s a process, but hiding behind voting rights groups appears to circumvent Florida law. Florida’s Elections Commission is a great authority for determining to what degree Bloomberg has broken the law.”
The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition is targeting President Donald Trump with its vote-getting campaign, Patronis argues, calling the group’s efforts “purely partisan activities.”
“The excerpt quoted above can only be interpreted as an appeal to vote against President Trump. Additionally, since this is occurring within 60 days of the November 3 General Election, the Coalition is engaged in Electioneering Communications,” Patronis wrote.
Bloomberg is part of an effort that raised more than $20 million to help felons who have completed their prison sentences vote in the presidential election, a story that first broke when the Washington Post obtained a memo detailing that plan.
“Reports that the failed presidential candidate is spending tens-of-millions of dollars on restitution for certain registered voters doesn’t smell right to me,” Patronis said.
Moody’s request for investigation followed a request from Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Attorney General wrote.
“After preliminarily reviewing this limited public information and law, it appears further investigation is warranted,” Moody said. “Accordingly, I request your agencies further investigate this matter and take appropriate steps as merited.”
Republicans contend Bloomberg’s contributions could be criminal. U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, of Fort Walton Beach, called Moody to start an investigation Tuesday.
“It’s not every felon. It’s just those which they have specifically identified as the Biden voters,” Gaetz said on Fox Business Tuesday afternoon. “That’s offering a bribe, an inducement, for someone to behave a certain way in voting.”
Later that day, Gaetz said he had spoken to Moody and that “a criminal probe may already be under way.”
The following morning, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott hopped on the same channel to comment that Bloomberg’s commitment to pay off debt for 32,000 potential voters via the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition ultimately wouldn’t affect the outcome in November.
Scott was cooler than Gaetz on the matter of potential illegality, noting that “the courts will end up deciding” and “the issue’s been in the courts for a while.”
Following Amendment 4’s passage in 2018, Florida felons must have served their sentence and paid all court costs, fines, fees and restitutions to have their voting rights restored.
The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, which led the Amendment 4 charge and that partners with Bloomberg for the debt-paying campaign, said other donors include John Legend, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, MTV, Comedy Central, VH1, Ben & Jerry’s, Levi Strauss & Co., the Miami Dolphins, the Orlando Magic, the Miami Heat and Stephen Spielberg.
Bloomberg’s efforts come in addition to the $100 million he has pledged to help former Vice President Joe Biden win Florida, a crucial state with 29 electoral college votes that Trump hopes will keep him in the White House.
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the last of three Cabinet members along with Moody and Patronis to weigh-in on the investigations and Florida’s sole statewide-elected Democrat, ridiculed Republicans for launching the probe.
“Florida Republicans will stop at nothing to prevent people from voting, and this is another ploy to suppress the voices of those trying to regain their right to vote,” Fried said. “Whether Mike Bloomberg, John Legend or LeBron James, these are contributions made legally and in good faith to FRRC’s mission of helping people rightfully regain the right to vote.”
“This shouldn’t be a partisan issue,” the Commissioner added. “More than 5 million Floridians on both sides of the aisle voted for this in 2018. It’s unfortunate that the Republican Party views denying people the right to vote as a necessity in their path to victory in 2020.”
One comment
Paul
September 23, 2020 at 5:39 pm
Its so comical how afraid the Republicans are about a few thousand votes whom no one can guarantee how they vote. This just proves republicans know they are losing at the ballot box and will stop to any low to suppress the american voter.
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