of florida Election Crime and Security Bureauy (OECS) released a report Friday accusing multiple organizations of forging signatures in support of a new amendment that would overturn the state's six-week abortion ban.
State officials issued initials 348 page report It alleges that individuals were paid to sign the petition.
Floridians Defending Freedom and the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, among others, co-sponsored the bill, known as Amendment 4, and submitted more than 900,000 signatures. The groups said they intend to contest the state's findings.
OECS claims it discovered the discrepancies when examining statewide data that revealed a significant number of “known” or “suspected fraudsters.” Subsequently, several counties launched investigations and announced that they had found clear circumstances of fraud.
“This campaign was fully implemented and followed state law at every turn,” said Lauren Brenzel, campaign director for the advocacy group Yes for 4. statement I sent this report to the Tampa Bay Times. “What we are seeing now is nothing but unjust interference and a desperate attempt to silence voters.”
Local state representatives also agreed with their arguments.
“This is an attempt to mislead and confuse voters nearly three weeks before the election,” said state Rep. Anna Eskamani (D). miami herald. “They are sending the report to the lame-duck chairman and the president of the Senate.”
Some critics say DeSantis created the OECS two years ago to crack down on allegations of election fraud raised by Republicans after former President Donald Trump's 2020 defeat.
The Hill has reached out to Floridians Defending Freedom and the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida for comment.
