Florida GOP Chairman Evan Power blasted reports on Monday of "liberal dark money groups" challenging the state's recently passed election integrity law, HB 1205. The measure aims to fix Florida's petition process for ballot initiatives from fraud and abuse.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB 1205 into law on May 3.
“It’s no surprise that well-funded, left-wing dark money groups—many backed by anonymous donors and based outside of Florida—are resorting to lawsuits in a desperate attempt to overturn HB 1205,” Power said. “These shady organizations masquerade as grassroots activists but are part of a coordinated national effort to mislead voters, bypass the legislative process, and manipulate our state constitution for political gain.”
HB 1205 was prompted following investigations by the Secretary of State and the Office of Election Crimes and Security, which found forged signatures, stolen personal information, and petitions signed by deceased individuals.
In response, the law made the following changes:
- Only U.S. citizens may collect petition signatures
- Petition gatherers must be Florida residents and pass a background check
- Petitions must be returned promptly to prevent fraud and abuse
“This shady, profit-driven petition industry has operated in the shadows for too long—weakening confidence in our constitutional amendment process,” Power added. “HB 1205 puts a stop to that and ensures that future ballot initiatives are legitimate, transparent, and secure.”
Chairman Power said the liberal challenging groups were "trying to buy their way onto the ballot" after unsuccessfully achieving their goals in the Republican-controlled legislature.
He also added that Florida's Constitution was "not for sale."
“We won’t be intimidated by baseless legal challenges. We will stand strong, defend our Constitution, and protect the integrity of our elections," Power continued. "We will not back down. We will fight.”
