GOP activist accused of signing absentee ballot for dead father in 2020 election

(Grey Information) – A Florida Republican activist and supporter of former President Donald Trump has been charged with election fraud.

On Wednesday, Robert Henry Rivernider Jr., 58, was charged with two felony counts, fraud in reference to casting a vote and forgery of a public file.

In 2020, Rivernider allegedly signed an absentee poll for his late father. His poll was signed and dated on Oct. 16 and postmarked on Oct. 23.

Sumter County Elections Supervisor Invoice Eager mentioned the poll was not counted after evaluating signatures. Additionally they didn’t rely the poll as a result of it was postmarked 4 days after the daddy died in mid-October 2020, the Related Press reported.

Rivernider’s arraignment is scheduled for Nov. 20. He has been launched from custody.

Rivernider, who has moderated at the least two candidate boards in Orlando, calls the fees “frivolous and political and will likely be defeated,” in a assertion on his web site.

He instructed the Related Press {that a} political rivalry between himself, an lively Trump supporter, and native officers supporting DeSantis, who is also a candidate for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, is responsible for the fees.

Rivernider lives close to The Villages, a big retirement group. A number of residents from The Villages have confronted voting fraud fees associated to the 2020 election, with at the least at the least 4 residents charged with voting twice within the election, based on ClickOrlando.

DeSantis and the Florida Legislature created the Workplace of Election Crimes and Safety final 12 months regardless of there being not a lot proof of widespread election crimes by Florida voters, the AP reported.