Orlando Sentinel
Jestine Iannotti, one of three “ghost” candidates who ran as independents for Florida Senate seats in 2020, has been arrested on several criminal charges, alongside a political consultant involved in launching her campaign and Seminole County’s Republican Party chairman.
The office of Seminole-Brevard State Attorney Phil Archer announced the charges against Iannotti, James “Eric” Foglesong and Benjamin Paris on Tuesday, which the agency said stemmed from an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Iannotti faces six charges including the commission of a false or fraudulent act, accepting excessive contributions from a single contributor, perjury, false reporting and accepting a contribution in the name of another.
According to the FDLE, she illegally accepted a $1,200 cash donation from Foglesong to support her campaign, and the pair also falsely identified other contributors who had not actually donated — including Paris’ cousin.
Foglesong, a longtime Central Florida political operative, faces five counts: making two or more contributions through or in the name of another, the commission of a false or fraudulent act, unlawful use of a communication device, excessive contributions and false reporting.
Paris, the Seminole GOP chair and a former Longwood mayor, faces a single count of making a contribution through or in the name of another. Paris works for the Seminole County Chamber of Commerce, which is led by Sen. Jason Brodeur, who won the election in which Iannotti ran in 2020. More
Now do Hillary….
I’m sure every “ghost” Independent candidate was installed by the Democrats to take votes away from the Republican. Happens all the time in VA.
Go ahead and be Independent, but pick a side in the election. This isn’t a 3 party system. Never will be.