ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Multiple St. Johns County residents called for the resignations of two sitting county commissioners on Tuesday following accusations that they were involved in a fake voter guide scheme.
RELATED | Charging documents reveal ‘secret envelope stuffing’ operation behind fake St. Johns County voter guide | Fake voter guides, fraud charges could cloud St. Johns County election | St. Johns County commissioner calls for 2 sitting commissioners accused in fake voter guide scheme to step down
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Five people now face criminal charges in connection with the scheme, including District 2 Commissioner Sarah Arnold and District 1 Commissioner Christian Whitehurst.
Arnold and Whitehurst were not in the building to face their constituents on Tuesday, and instead attended the meeting by phone.
“Actions have taken place that have fractured the public’s faith, and as long as it remains broken, votes will be clouded by suspicion,” a resident said. “The honorable thing to do in a position like this is to step down.”
He said that they should let the legal process play out as private citizens and not elected officials.
“People respect a sincere redemption story and that begins with accountability,” he said.
Another resident wanted to know if Arnold and Whitehurst could still vote on decisions while they are under investigation.
“I really am looking to regain trust in the board...They’re going to be able to vote on decisions while they could be charged on Aug. 3 and then what happens with these votes,” she asked.
Charlie Hunt brought up clips from old meetings where the two commissioners spoke on being accountable for actions.
“There are consequences when you break laws, there are consequences when you break rules,” Whitehurst said. “Nobody is immune from that.”
“A moral obligation, an ethical obligation, that if we believe somebody is...even if it’s one of us not following the law,” Arnold said.
Hunt is another resident who wasn’t happy with them not appearing in person.
“The first meeting they don’t show up,” Hunt said. “Cowards. The people brought them into the seat. They should respect the people and come up and stand up for what they have done.”
Other residents said Governor Ron DeSantis some said he should remove the commissioners from office. DeSantis appointed Arnold to her seat back in 2021.
GOP party chair for St. Johns County, Denver Cook was the one who tipped off police to start the investigation.
“I had told people they might show up. You’re innocent until proven guilty. Show up. Have your canned statements but I’m going to fight these or not fight them. But to not show up is surprising,” Cook said.
He said he doesn’t know what will happen with Arnold or Whitehurst but he isn’t expecting consequences until after their court hearing on Aug. 3.
On July 7, County Commission Vice Chair Ann Taylor called on her colleagues to resign immediately after the State Attorney’s Office charged five Republicans in a fake voter guide scheme tied to the 2024 election.
All five face misdemeanor charges for conspiracy and producing an unauthorized voter guide. Campaign manager Briana Jordan faces an additional third-degree felony charge for tampering with physical evidence — the only defendant facing a felony. Jordan was recently arrested.
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 guide falsely showed certain candidates were endorsed by the local Republican Party, according to investigators.
“If there is any truth to these allegations, for the integrity of St. Johns County, they need to step down immediately so our residents can have a board they can trust,” Taylor said.
St. Johns County GOP Chair Denver Cook helped alert investigators to the scheme.
“Election integrity isn’t only about election fraud and voter ballots,” Cook said. “It’s all about the people and the way they act and trying to steal the voice of the people.”
Cook also released the following statement on behalf of the St. Johns County GOP earlier this month.
The details outlined in the state’s sworn affidavit reveal a shocking, calculated criminal conspiracy designed to subvert the democratic process and hijack the official, trusted voice of the St. Johns County Republican Party. As the primary complainant in this investigation, the St. Johns County REC is vindicated by the formal charges of criminal conspiracy, unauthorized voter guides, and tampering with physical evidence. The evidence demonstrates that this was not a campaign misunderstanding. It was a mass-scale decep on involving tens of thousands of dollars, tens of thousands of fraudulent mailers, and a deliberate attempt to overwrite the official, democratic votes of our local REC membership.
The affidavit lays bare a coordinated effort to hide this illicit operation from the public by shipping mailers out of neighboring counties, intentionally withholding statutorily required disclosures, and ultimately burning evidence in a backyard grill when the local news exposed the fraud.
No one is above the law. The weaponization of our official party logo and name to manipulate ‘super voters’ on the eve of early voting is an affront to every volunteer who serves our party and every citizen who casts a ballot.
To be absolutely clear, the St. Johns County Republican Party has issued no endorsements for this current primary cycle. Our absolute focus right now is on ge ng the vote out for this primary, ensuring total transparency, and delivering a clean, fair ballot for the voters of St. Johns County. Because this matter is now a live criminal prosecu on, the St. Johns County GOP will let the State A orney’s evidence speak for itself in a court of law. We will con nue to fight to ensure the voices of our voters are never compromised by deceptive schemes.
St. Johns County GOP Chair Denver Cook
State lawmaker was a target of the scheme
State Rep. Kim Kendall, who represents St. Johns County and won her 2024 race, said her image was removed from the fake voter guide — making her one of its targets.
“To start hearing from people that they had received this fake voter guide was just a big gut punch that’s really hard to explain unless you’ve been in that situation,” Kendall said. “And then to start seeing people going to polls with fake voter guide in hand and try to explain them they had the wrong one.”
Accused respond through attorneys
Attorneys representing Whitehurst, Arnold and former St. Augustine Beach Mayor and current commissioner Dylan Rumrell released a joint statement following the charges.
“These allegations have lingered for nearly two years in the hands of various government agencies,” the statement read. “With formal charges now filed, County Commissioner Arnold, County Commissioner Whitehurst and St. Augustine Beach City Commissioner Rumrell look forward to the conclusion of this matter and will have no further comments at this time.”