The former Minneapolis police officer charged with killing George Floyd is also being accused of voting illegally in two Florida elections.
by: Mahsa Saeidi and Nexstar Media Wire
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The former Minneapolis police officer charged with killing George Floyd voted illegally in two elections, a Florida attorney says.
Dan Helm, candidate for Pinellas County supervisor of elections, claims Chauvin – who now faces murder charges in Minnesota – committed fraud in Florida.
“This is an instance of voter fraud and so when we see it, we need to recognize it, we need to call it out,” said Helm. “Florida is decided by razor-thin margins, every single vote counts.”
Florida election officials confirm Chauvin is currently registered to vote in Orange County. The 44-year-old took part in early voting in both the 2016 and 2018 General Elections.
Records show the disgraced former officer does own property near Orlando.
The question: Does having house in Florida mean you’re a legal resident entitled to vote in the state?
Helm says the evidence in this case suggests the answer is no.
“Windermere is not his home, so he shouldn’t be voting in our elections in Florida,” said Helm. “Everything that I saw about this individual showed that he was in Minnesota, he lived in Minnesota, he intends Minnesota to be his home.”
Multiple election experts said this is a fact-specific inquiry.
“You’re going to be looking at the totality of the circumstances,” said George Levesque, an attorney at GrayRobinson in Tallahassee.
Levesque has practiced election law for a decade. He also served as general counsel for the Florida House of Representatives and, most recently, as general counsel to the Florida Senate.
Legal residency is not clearly defined in Florida law.
