At least two Floridians of Lee County have come forward to say they were questioned by police over petitions they had signed in support of abortion.
These alarming situations have caused many Floridians to worry that Governor Ron DeSantis is working to send “election police” to question the validity of these petition signatures, intimidating residents along the way.
Floridians Will Vote on Abortion
This November, Floridians will have the chance to vote for Amendment 4, which deals with offering abortion access to all residents until viability.
This amendment would completely overturn Florida’s current six-week abortion ban. Many Republican lawmakers, most notably DeSantis, have been forcefully against the passing of this amendment.
DeSantis’ Worrying Moves
In recent weeks, critics of DeSantis have become increasingly worried, as the Florida governor has made it his intent to push for the inspection of abortion petitions.
DeSantis’ administration has ordered election supervisors in various counties to send them abortion petition forms that have already been validated as being signed by real Florida residents.
Collecting Signatures for Amendment 4
Floridians Protecting Freedom hired PCI Consultants, a California-based firm, to collect signatures that would lead to Amendment 4 being able to be put on the ballot.
The company gathered the necessary petitions and paid more than $750,000 to ensure local supervisors successfully verified all the signatures on these petitions.
A Successful Company
PCI Consultants has had great success in the past in collecting these signatures to put amendments on ballots in Florida.
In 2016, they successfully got enough signatures to put an amendment legalizing medical marijuana on the ballot, while in 2018 they also got an amendment focused on allowing those with felony convictions the right to vote in Florida.
DeSantis Pushes for Inspections
Even though these abortion petitions have been validated, DeSantis is intent on pushing for more inspections, even as November voting nears.
This unusual campaign by the governor has prompted many election supervisors to explain they’ve never been asked before to send petition forms to Tallahassee.
Police Question Floridians
Now, this ongoing situation has taken a new turn, as two residents of Lee County have revealed that they’ve had the police come to their home and question them about signing an abortion petition.
This shocking move has made many critics concerned over the “political interference” DeSantis may be partaking in, especially now that his administration is pushing for the police to be involved.
Concerning Police Interactions
Isaac Menasche was stunned when a police officer visited his home and questioned him about signing a petition to get abortion on the ballot. Menasche explained he signed this form last year at a farmer’s market.
While Menasche explained that the officer was very kind and professional, he was still shaken by the visit, as he’d had very little interaction with the police before. He couldn’t understand why they were visiting him.
Are Regular Floridians Being Targeted?
This visit has alarmed many Floridians, especially as these people aren’t activists at all. They are simply regular people who signed a petition.
Menasche explained, “I’m not a person who is going out there protesting for abortion. I just felt strongly and I took the opportunity when the person asked me, to say yeah, I’ll sign that petition.”
Police Say They’re Investigating Fraud
Becky Castellanos also received a visit at her home by a Florida law enforcement officer. This officer told her that one of her family members could be a victim of fraud.
Castellanos called her family member, who wasn’t at home at the time, and allowed the officer to talk to her family member over the phone. She was stunned when she learned this was about an abortion petition signing.
Floridians Aren’t Surprised by DeSantis’ Moves
Castellanos explained she felt intimidated by this police visit. Though she was surprised this was all about an abortion petition, she also explained that she wasn’t too stunned — as she thinks Florida would do anything to get rid of abortion completely.
“It didn’t surprise me that they were doing something like this to try to debunk these petitions to get it taken off of the ballot,” she stated.
The State’s Response
Ryan Ash, the Department of State spokesperson, has come out to explain that the agency has “uncovered evidence of illegal conduct with fraudulent petitions.” This is why they are taking these latest moves.
Ash continued, “We have a duty to seek justice for Florida citizens who were victimized by fraud and safeguard the integrity of Florida’s elections. Our office will continue this investigation and make referrals to (the Florida Department of Law Enforcement) as appropriate.”
