Voters in Florida Arrested as Part of DeSantis Crackdown

A suspect arrested on charges of voter fraud in Florida was left confused and in the dark by police officers for why he was being detained, newly released footage showed.

When police detained Tony Patterson in August on charges of committing voter fraud back in 2020, both the officer and Patterson appeared confused by the arrest, a video posted by the Tampa Bay Times showed.

“What is wrong with this state, man?” Patterson said as he was being taken to the police car in handcuffs. “Voter fraud? Y’all said anybody with a felony could vote, man.”

When he asked the police why they were doing this now, as opposed to in 2020, a police officer responded, “I don’t know. I have no idea, man.”

The arrests were part of Gov. Ron DeSantis’s crackdown on voter fraud, which he touted at a press conference shortly after the arrest. Those arrested, 20 in all, were convicted of murder or felony sex offenses but voted in the 2020 election despite apparent violations of the process to restore their voting rights.

Voter fraud is considered a third-degree felony, and those convicted of it could face a fine of up to $5,000 and up to five years behind bars. However, in the video, the officer said agents had reduced his bond to $1,000 in total. (Read more from “Voters in Florida Arrested as Part of DeSantis Crackdown” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

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