Republican accuses Ron DeSantis and the GOP of election fraud in lawsuit

Thomas Feiter. Image via YouTube.

In a lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis, State Attorney Andrew Bain and others, Thomas Feiter is accusing Republicans of propping up a ghost candidate in the Republican Primary for the State Attorney’s race in Orange and Osceola counties.

“This sham was a well thought out and deliberate attempt to manipulate the electoral process; engineering a candidacy that was never intended to be serious,” Feiter said, representing himself in his Orange Circuit Court lawsuit. Feiter also argues that the Republican Primary results should be invalided because of “misconduct, fraud and corruption.”

Feiter lost badly in the Republican Primary to Seth Hyman. Hyman dropped out shortly after his victory, claiming to have run out of resources for the General Election.

That means no Republican is on the ballot in November. Instead, Bain — a DeSantis appointee running as an independent in a blue district — will go head-to-head against Democrat Monique Worrell.

“Andrew Bain is a Republican and is openly and unmistakably aligned with this faction and the Republican Party,” Feiter said in the lawsuit.

DeSantis threw Worrell out of office one year ago in what critics say was a politically motivated move. DeSantis accused Worrell of not doing her job to prosecute crimes, a charge Worrell refutes.

Now, Feiter’s lawsuit adds more political gasoline on an already burning race.

Feiter says Hyman was a ghost candidate and intentionally planned to quit the race to ensure Bain didn’t lose any Republican votes this November.

“The key difference between the candidates was that Seth Hyman’s true motive and intent for running was to manipulate the election process — and never to genuinely compete for or serve as State Attorney,” Feiter’s lawsuit said. “Seth Hyman was promised a benefit, such as a judgeship or other political favors, in exchange for running and then withdrawing. His plan was always to serve as a ‘placeholder’ so that no genuine Republican could interfere with the faction’s plan to keep Andrew Bain State Attorney.”

Hyman denied that he was a ghost candidate and called Feiter’s allegations “sour grapes from a bitter loser.” Hyman then accused Feiter of being a ghost candidate himself to support Worrell’s bid, which Feiter called “preposterous.”

Feiter charged that DeSantis, Bain and county Republicans were all conspiring with Hyman.

DeSantis Chief of Staff James Uthmeier called Feiter’s cell and warned him that his political future would be over in Florida if Feiter didn’t drop out of the Primary, Feiter’s lawsuit said.

Feiter stayed in the race anyway and lost to Hyman, who won with 62% of the vote.

Feiter’s lawsuit comes as no surprise. Feiter said he planned to sue earlier this week during a press conference, where he was the only Republican speaking next to Worrell.

Feiter said he sued after the Florida Bar and the Florida Commission on Ethics failed to act on his complaints.

In his lawsuit, Feiter demands unspecified damages and asks for his name to be put on the November ballot. He also calls for a Florida Department of Law Enforcement criminal investigation, as well as a probe by the U.S. Department of Justice and FBI.

In addition to DeSantis, Bain and Hyman, the lawsuit names Orange County Elections Supervisor Glen Gilzean, GrayRobinson lawyer Jeff Aaron, Orange County Republican Chair Erin Huntley and others.

DeSantis and Bain did not immediately respond to comment early Wednesday.