Press release: Final Hearing to Disqualify Rebekah Jones Set for August 5th
by Peggy Schiller Campaign in Rebekah Jones’s false claims Posted on 23/07/2022 15:17
On August 5th, a final hearing will be held to determine if Rebekah Jones broke Florida’s state election eligibility laws.
Representatives from both Democratic candidates, Peggy Schiller and Rebekah Jones, of Florida’s First Congressional District, met during an expedited pre-trial hearing scheduled on Friday, July 22nd.
During this meeting, Judge John Cooper of Florida’s 2nd Judicial Circuit scheduled a final hearing to take place on August 5th. The delayed timing of the final hearing is due in part to the fact that Rebekah Jones announced she tested positive for COVID.
At the pre-trial hearing, it was determined that because ballots have already been printed and mailed to some voters, physically removing Rebekah Jones’s name from the ballot is not possible. Therefore, the final hearing will instead determine whether or not to order the Supervisors of Elections (SOEs) NOT to count votes cast for Jones based on her ineligibility for candidacy.
Contrary to Jones’s victory proclamation, no official ruling was made at the pre-trial hearing. The final ruling will be issued on August 5th.
The Schiller campaign did not seek out the information demonstrating Jones’s ineligibility for candidacy; the evidence was presented to the campaign by an anonymous source earlier this month. Schiller’s team acted in the best interest of the Democratic Party, further investigating this allegation to determine if it was true. Documentation was uncovered proving Jones is not eligible for candidacy based on her voter registration history.
Schiller states, “This is a legitimate complaint which speaks for itself. It is a straightforward case, and on August 5, we are confident the SOEs of all counties will be ordered to post notices that she is no longer on the ballot and not to count any votes cast for her. All candidates must comply with both federal and state regulations in order to qualify for public office, and there is no special exemption for Ms. Jones.”
According to public records and verified by the Montgomery County Board of Elections, certified copies, of which are in Judge Cooper’s hands, show Jones was registered as an Independent during the summer of 2021, causing her to be about 60 days shy of the 365 day period required for candidacy.