65.6 F
The Villages
Tuesday, March 19, 2024

The Villages’ ‘fake candidates’ election fraud case turned over to FDLE

Two Villagers’ decision to file as “fake candidates” has aroused enough suspicion that the case as been turned over to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Earlier this year, Villagers Pete Wahl and Jerry Prince filed as write-in candidates for the Sumter County Board of Commissioners.

Pete Wahl and Jerry Prince

Prince, then-head of The Villages Republican Club, was trying to protect incumbent Steve Printz, who was facing challenges from fellow Republican candidates Oren Miller and Daniel Myslakowski, both Villagers. Wahl, a former District Manager for The Villages and current chairman of the Lake Sumter State College Board of Trustees, was doing likewise for incumbent Don Burgess, who faced GOP challenger Craig Estep. The purpose of the write-in candidacies was to block roughly 45,000 Democrats and Independents from casting ballots in the race. Thousands of voters changed their party preferences so they could participate in the county race, propelling Miller and Estep to victory. The next day, Wahl and Prince quietly withdrew their write-in candidacies.

Villager Marsha Shearer, long known for her political activism, filed an election fraud complaint with the state.

Marsha Shearer

This week, she received a reply from Colleen O’Brien, assistant general counsel for the Florida Department of State. You can see a copy of that letter at this link: Marsha Shearer received this reply from the Florida Department of State

“We have reviewed your elections fraud complaint and found it to be facially sufficient. Additionally, there is reason to believe elections fraud in connection with voting may have occurred. As such, we have referred the matter to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for criminal investigation and prosecution, if warranted,” O’Brien wrote.

The election fraud complaint lists a total of five persons or entities “against whom fraud complaint is brought:”
Peter Wahl
Jerry Prince
Don Burgess
Steve Printz
The Villages of Lake-Sumter, Inc (and related companies and individuals)

Printz and Burgess were on the ropes due to a 25 percent tax increase unanimously approved in September 2019 by the commission. The tax increase was seen as a sweetheart deal for the Developer of The Villages.

At one point, Prince had promised to explain his write-in candidacy, but the forum at which Prince was to make his explanation was cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic. It was never rescheduled.

Prince also directed a Republican endorsement for Printz, Burgess and fellow incumbent Al Butler. The endorsement was given despite the local Republicans’ bylaws which forbid such preferential treatment within party ranks. The incumbents each pocketed $5,000 donations from the local Republican organization. The endorsements and political contributions came in spite of the write-in candidacies.

Take down all the vitriolic flags in The Villages

A Village of Santo Domingo resident agrees with fellow residents who says its time to take down all the vitriolic flags in The Villages.

Advertisement of ‘free golf for life’ is a bunch of hooey

A Village of Hillsborough resident contends that with the golf courses in such poor condition, the advertisement of “free golf for life” is a bunch of hooey.

We need to decrease the vulgarity before someone gets hurt

A Village of St. Charles resident says we need to decrease the vulgarity before someone gets hurt in The Villages.

It’s time to take a stand on flags flying in The Villages

In a Letter to the Editor, a Village of Belle Aire resident says it’s time to take a stand on the flags that are allowed to fly on flagpoles in The Villages.

Why are homeowners forced to pay in stone vs. sod fiasco?

A Village of Chatham resident wonders why homeowners - rather than realtors - have faced financial penalties as a result of the stone vs. sod fiasco. Read her Letter to the Editor.