Police Videos Show Shock and Fear as DeSantis Begins Arrests For Alleged Voter Fraud: ‘I Voted But I Didn’t Commit No Fraud’
The Tampa Bay Times published video of several Floridians being arrested for voter fraud as part of Gov. Ron DeSantis‘s new Office of Election Crimes and Security crackdown.
The arrests of 20 people took place on August 18th, hours before DeSantis called a press conference to boast of the crackdown, declaring, “They’re going to pay the price.”
“Our new election crimes office has sprung into action to hold individuals accountable for voter fraud. Today’s actions send a clear signal to those who are thinking about ballot harvesting or fraudulently voting. If you commit an elections crime, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said DeSantis during the press conference, making clear the office’s work will continue.
The footage, which had not previously been made public, showed a very different story than the law and order tale told by DeSantis. The clips showed three different individuals, all of whom had previously been convicted of murder or sexual offenses, being arrested by apologetic officers.
The first clip shows a man named Tony Patterson being arrested outside his Tampa home as officers explained they were there to arrest him for voter fraud. Patterson, in disbelief, explained he thought he was following the law.
“What is wrong with this state, man?” Patterson later said. “Voter fraud? Y’all said anybody with a felony could vote, man.”
Florida did indeed restore voting rights to many felons with a 2018 state amendment, but the law did not cover this particular group of felons, which has created confusion in the state.
“This happened years ago,” he added, asking, “Why now? Why me?”
“Yes, sir. So unfortunately, right now, we’re going to have to take you to jail. But you’re getting, you got a bond right away,” the cops explained to him, noting he wouldn’t remain in jail.
Another clip showed the police arresting Romona Oliver, 55, as she was leaving for work at 6:52 a.m. “Oh my God,” she said as the cops explained they were arresting her, “Let me tell my husband.”
“Voter fraud?” she added. “I voted, but I ain’t commit no fraud.”
“Oliver’s lawyer, Tampa attorney Mark Rankin, said he thinks DeSantis’ election security force chose these 20 in particular because the public would not have sympathy for people who were convicted of murder or sexual offenses. During a news conference announcing the arrests, DeSantis noted their criminal records,” reported the Tampa Bay Times.
In the final clip, the police arrest Nathan Hart who explained he voted at the urging of someone at “the driver’s license place.”
“I said, ‘I’m a convicted felon, I’m pretty sure I can’t,’” Hart said he told the man, “He goes, ‘Well, are you still on probation?’”
“He said, ‘Well, just fill out this form, and if they let you vote, then you can,’” Hart explained. “‘If they don’t, then you can’t.’”
“Then there’s your defense,” one of the officers replied. “You know what I’m saying? That sounds like a loophole to me.”
Later in the tapes, as the cops are driving Patterson in one of the officers says on the phone, “I’ve never seen these charges before in my entire life.”
“I always listen to everybody else. Vote for this. Vote for — come on, man,” Patterson says in the back seat. “I thought felons were able to vote. That’s why I signed a petition form, that’s what I remember.
“Why would you let me vote if I wasn’t able to vote?”
“I’m not sure, buddy,” the policeman responded. “I don’t know.”
Watch the full clip above
