Randy Fine demands authorities arrest opponent Josh Weil

Republican congressional candidate Randy Fine wants his Democratic opponent arrested.

Fine, a Palm Bay Republican, called for the action days after a third-party contracted worker was arrested while handing out campaign flyers for Democrat Josh Weil on a stolen bike. While Weil’s campaign distanced themselves from the individual, Fine said that’s not enough as the campaign continues to keep on its campaign vendor.

“In the past few days, we learned that ‘Jihad Josh’ Weil hired a dangerous felon — who had been convicted of three gun crimes, including aggravated assault with a gun and burglary with a gun — to stalk and intimidate voters as part of his campaign,” Fine said.

“In response to his employee’s arrest, Weil admitted that he did no background vetting on those he hired and it appears he is so desperate to intimidate voters that he did not care.”

Fine and Weil face each other in an April 1 Special Election in Florida’s 6th Congressional District. The Democrat and Republican won respective Primaries in January. The winner of the Special Election will succeed former U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, now President Donald Trump’s National Security Adviser.

Weil’s campaign did fire the worker, Arlecia Darnae Brown, following the arrest

“This individual was hired by and worked for a third party contractor,” said Wendy Garcia, Weil’s Campaign Manager. “This is an unacceptable incident and we support the justice system working to deliver accountability. The individual is no longer authorized to do any work on behalf of our campaign.”

But since the Democrat’s campaign has not fired its vendor, Fine, a current state Senator, suggested that the public has no assurance more felons aren’t going door-to-door handing out Weil campaign material. Weil’s campaign has said it has 150 paid staffers on the ground.

“As potentially unvetted criminals blanket our neighborhoods on the Weil payroll, we need the Florida Office of Election Crimes to step in,” Fine said. “Voters are scared and some feel intimidated. I call on law enforcement to immediately arrest ‘Jihad Josh’ Weil for voter intimidation and suppression. He may take his cues from Hamas, but he isn’t in Gaza anymore.”

Fine has attacked Weil’s faith repeatedly. Weil previously has discussed his “embrace” is Islam and has spoken out against Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. While running for U.S. Senate in 2021, Weil posted on Facebook that he would “condemn Israel’s state sanctioned violence against Palestinians” and ask then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken to intervene and end military aid to Israel.

Fine since Brown’s arrest has also repeatedly pointed out that the campaign worker identifies as a transgender man, according to arrest reports.