Florida officials charge 20 defendants in election fraud operation

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier announced charges against 20 defendants as part of a statewide election integrity operation. The investigation targeted illegal voting in various Florida elections, including the 2024 general election.

Of the 20 defendants, 16 are non-citizens who allegedly registered to vote by falsely claiming United States citizenship. The remaining four are convicted felons accused of registering and voting while on probation. The investigation involved coordination between the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Department of State Office of Election Crimes, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Officials stated that the charges followed immigration-status reviews and database checks that flagged ineligible registered voters. Since the establishment of the Office of Election Crimes via SB 524, Florida has conducted over 100 election fraud-related prosecutions. DeSantis also announced the formation of a new national organization intended to promote similar election enforcement models in other states.