Five people, including three elected officials, have been charged in connection with an alleged scheme involving fake voter guides distributed during the 2024 primary election season in Florida, according to authorities.
Among those charged are St. Johns County Commissioners Sarah Arnold and Christian Whitehurst, as well as St. Augustine Beach City Commissioner and former Mayor Dylan Rumrell. Prosecutors allege the group participated in a conspiracy involving the production and distribution of a false voter guide that circulated throughout St. Johns County as primary elections were getting underway in 2024.
The voter guides sparked controversy after they were mailed to residents just days before early voting began on Aug. 10. The mailers immediately drew scrutiny because they closely resembled the official voter guide issued by the local Republican Party but allegedly contained false endorsements.
The controversy first gained widespread attention in 2024 after ABC News reported on accusations of alleged “dirty tricks” surrounding the mailers.
“I saw the card, and I’m like, this is a real issue,” St. Johns County Republican Party Chairman Denver Cook told ABC at the time. “I was in shock. I’m dealing with one of probably the most flagrant frauds on voters — the day before early voting. It became an instant train wreck.”
Charging documents allege that campaign manager Brianna Jordan developed a plan intended to create confusion among voters by producing a counterfeit voter guide that closely mirrored the official Republican version while replacing legitimate endorsements with false ones.
Authorities claim Jordan oversaw what they described as a “secret envelope stuffing” operation at her office. Investigators allege she obtained more than 10,000 fraudulent voter guides along with approximately 20,000 postage stamps before arranging for the mailers to be sent from Jacksonville and Orlando in an effort to conceal where they originated.
The investigation also details allegations involving efforts to destroy evidence after news reports began highlighting the fake mailers.
According to authorities, one of Jordan’s former interns, who has since entered into an immunity agreement, told investigators that Jordan instructed him to purchase a kettle grill using cash after seeing a local television report about the mailers. Investigators allege some of the fraudulent voter guides were then burned using the grill.
The intern also claimed that Whitehurst’s mother participated by placing postage stamps on the fake voter guides before they were mailed.
Authorities further allege that after the documents were burned, Jordan contacted shredding companies. She now also faces a charge of tampering with evidence.
Investigators said they interviewed dozens of voters who recalled receiving the alleged fake voter guides during the election.
The alleged scheme also affected the race between Ann-Marie Evans and Whitehurst. Evans had received the endorsement of the St. Johns County Republican Party, which appeared on the official voter guide. According to authorities, the counterfeit guide instead listed Whitehurst as the endorsed candidate.
Other candidates and local officials have publicly condemned the alleged actions outlined in the charging documents.
“Absolutely, I believe that is what shifted the election from a victory for me to a victory for my opponent,” Evans told local media.
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