BY: STAFF REPORT | BocaNewsNow.com
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2022 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — If you have been radicalized to the point of camping out at election cites and threatening voters, you may want to think again. The United States Department of Justice says it is watching elections in South Florida and will prosecute anyone who violates election laws. Early voting is now underway across South Florida. This is the official statement issued by the USDOJ:
USDOJ STATEMENT: United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Juan Antonio Gonzalez announced today that his Office will be working closely with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington and FBI Miami to investigate and prosecute violations of federal election laws in connection with the upcoming November 8th general election.
Federal election laws prohibit the following:
- threatening violence against election officials or staff,
- intimidating or bribing voters,
- buying and selling votes,
- impersonating voters,
- altering vote tallies,
- stuffing ballot boxes, and
- marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District is committed to prosecuting such violations.
For example, following an investigation by FBI Miami, the Office recently charged a South Florida man with threatening election workers during the August primary election. According to the charges, while at the polling station, the defendant made a statement about killing them one by one or blowing the place up. Later, he pointed his finger and thumb in a gun-like fashion towards election workers. If convicted, the defendant in case number 22-60205-CR-Ruiz faces up to five years in federal prison.
The South Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office, working closely with the FBI Miami, will respond to voting rights and election fraud concerns while the polls are open for the upcoming election. To report allegations of election fraud and other election abuses in the Southern District of Florida, contact FBI Miami at 754-703-2000.
Please note, however, that anyone in imminent or potentially imminent danger, should immediately call 911 before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
