Gabrielle Russon
Tuesday’s election is officially a showdown between Gov. Ron DeSantis-appointed Andrew Bain and Monique Worrell, the State Attorney whom DeSantis threw out from office, and no last-minute legal fight will change that, according to a Judge’s ruling.
A Judge dismissed an Orange County lawsuit filed by a State Attorney candidate who lost in the Republican Primary and then accused his party of collaborating with Bain and the DeSantis administration.
Chief Judge Lisa Munyon’s ruling didn’t address the political controversy centered around the lawsuit, but said Thomas Feiter hadn’t followed proper steps in contesting the election results as she dismissed his complaint on Thursday.
Feiter sued last month to invalidate the Primary results and add his name onto the ballot in General Election.
Feiter lost in the Republican Primary to Seth Hyman. Hyman dropped out of the race shortly after, clearing the way for Bain to face Worrell without any other opposition in the General Election.
In his lawsuit, Feiter accused Hyman of collaborating with Bain and DeSantis officials so as not to siphon any Republican votes from Bain.
“Justice was served,” Bain’s Campaign Manager said in a statement after the Judge’s ruling.
Hyman said Thursday Feiter’s lawsuit “was frivolous and an abuse of the court system.”
Feiter said he respected the judge’s decision, but pointed out that the ruling did not weigh the merits of his arguments regarding Republicans’ election interference.
“This thing is not over,” Feiter said. “They know what they did. I know what they did, and I still have grounds for a civil lawsuit against them personally.”
Feiter also said he is waiting to see if the Florida Bar investigates his complaints against them.
Bain, who says he is an independent, was appointed by DeSantis after the Governor suspended Worrell last year.
The SAO race for Orange-Osceola counties is one of the most closely watched local races Tuesday.
Feiter was the only Republican in the room when he stood at a press conference with Worrell and called Hyman a ghost candidate.
Hyman denied the accusations and called Feiter a sore loser in the Primary. Meanwhile, Hyman accused Feiter of collaborating with Worrell.
Feiter missed the 10-day deadline to contest the certified election results by two days. He also didn’t name the Elections Canvassing Commission in his original lawsuit, the Judge noted in her ruling.
The Judge wasn’t swayed that Feiter was on military duty for two days during the 10-day window.
“Plaintiff shall take nothing from this action,” she wrote in dismissing the case.
In his lawsuit that named DeSantis, Bain and Hyman, as well as several local and state Republicans, Feiter also accused DeSantis administration of trying to bribe him to drop out of the race. Feiter said he believes DeSantis will try to throw Worrell out if she is re-elected on Tuesday.
Worrell did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday after the lawsuit’s dismissal.
