ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Charging documents are revealing new details about an alleged fake Republican voter guide distributed in St. Johns County during the 2024 primary election — including what prosecutors describe as a coordinated, covert operation run out of a rented home.
Five people now face criminal charges in connection with the scheme. Two are sitting St. Johns County commissioners.
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District 2 Commissioner Sarah Arnold and District 1 Commissioner Christian Whitehurst are both named as defendants. So are former St. Augustine Beach Mayor and current commissioner Dylan Rumrell, campaign manager Briana Jordan, and Jamie Johnson.
All five face misdemeanor charges for conspiracy and producing an unauthorized voter guide. Jordan faces an additional third-degree felony charge for tampering with physical evidence — the only defendant facing a felony.
According to charging documents, an alleged “secret envelope stuffing” operation took place at a rented home that was used as a campaign headquarters. The document said people working under Jordan’s direction placed fraudulent guides into envelopes. The envelopes had no return addresses and used postage stamps.
The mailings were sent from Orlando and Jacksonville. Postmarks, prosecutors allege, were dated between Aug. 5 and Aug. 15, 2024.
How the case moved through the courts
The case is being prosecuted in the 8th Judicial Circuit — not the circuit that covers St. Johns County. News4JAX found an executive order from Gov. Ron DeSantis, signed in April, that directed the reassignment.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement handled the investigation, which the 8th Circuit State Attorney’s Office confirmed wrapped up about a month or two ago. The case was first presented to the 7th Circuit, which covers St. Johns County — that office recused. It was then presented to the 4th Circuit, which covers Jacksonville — that office also recused. The 8th Circuit ultimately accepted the case for prosecution.
County commission chair responds
St. Johns County Commission board chair Clay Murphy told News4JAX he was disappointed by the situation. Murphy said it was the first time in his tenure as an elected official that he has had to deal with something like this, and that it remains unclear what will happen next.
In a written statement, Murphy said, in part:
As someone who was a victim of this event, I was deeply disturbed to learn of the recent charges connected to the fraudulent voter guides. I still vividly remember when my wife and I saw one for the first time at the early voting locations in the hands of voters as they exited the polling office.
Free and fair elections are at the heart of our constitutional Republic and a bedrock of democracy, and I oppose anything that can taint those. I strongly support free and fair elections – free from unlawful coercion.
I commend the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the 8th Judicial Circuit State attorney’s office for pursuing this investigation. St Johns County residents deserve transparency and integrity from their elected officials. And I will continue to work every day to uphold those standards.
As a 39 year veteran of Law Enforcement, I trust that our system of justice will run its course. As it does, I am committed to doing what the constituents deserve and what they elected me to do by continuing to work at the governance of our County.
BOCC Clay Murphy
St. Johns County, as a government body, declined to comment, saying it does not respond to pending legal matters.