Jury finds Seminole GOP chair guilty in 'ghost' candidate case

[Nevilledog]

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Matthew Sheffield
@mattsheffield
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BREAKING: Ben Paris, the chair of Florida's Seminole County Republican Party, was convicted of illegally setting up a fake progressive candidate to siphon votes from Democrats in the 2020 election. https://orlandosentinel.com/news/os-ne-ben-paris-verdict-20220901-i2ggrblvvfhz5ozlgyih2xr2b4-story.html…
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2:29 PM · Sep 1, 2022

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-ne-ben-paris-verdict-20220901-i2ggrblvvfhz5ozlgyih2xr2b4-story.html

A jury of six people found Seminole County GOP Chairman Ben Paris guilty on Thursday of causing his cousin’s name to be falsely listed on independent “ghost” candidate Jestine Iannotti’s campaign contribution forms in 2020.

Paris was sentenced to 12 months of probation and 200 hours of community service for the misdemeanor and ordered to pay roughly $42,000 — the cost of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation into the apparent vote-siphoning scheme.

Iannotti said Paris contacted her in May 2020 asking her to run in a competitive state Senate race. Though Iannotti had no political experience when she entered the race and did not campaign, her candidacy was central to the scheme, as she was promoted as a progressive in an advertising blitz that was apparently intended to draw votes from her Democratic opponent.

Paris was stoic as the verdict was read and as the judge detailed his sentence. He and his attorney Matthews Bark declined to comment as they left the courtroom Thursday.

Bark after the verdict said Paris does not plan to remain in politics and would have to resign as the Seminole GOP’s chair.

*snip*


I'm sure DeSantis is preparing a press conference to call out this election fraud.

[malaise]

1. He'll just use ReTHUG dark money to pay the fine

Needs. Nice prison term

[Nevilledog]

3. Misdemeanor

[Conjuay]

2. I seem to remember that it was one of their

biggest problems and that they would yell from the rooftops about voter fraud.

Funny in a not-so-funny way.