Another Florida Resident Arrested for Alleged Voter Fraud in Kansas, AG Kris Kobach Says

A second Florida resident has been arrested in connection with suspected voter fraud in Johnson County, Kansas.

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach announced Tuesday that Nebraska law enforcement arrested Jamie Johnson, a 47-year-old resident of Dade City, Florida, on May 29 for allegations of counterfeiting signatures on petitions demanding recognition of the No Labels political party.

The arrest comes after another Dade City resident, George Andrews, was arrested in February based on similar allegations. At the time, Kobach described Andrews as part of a “scheme” to place fraudulent signatures on petitions.

“As Attorney General, I am committed to prosecuting election fraud to the fullest extent of the law. It doesn't matter how far you travel. We will take you back to Kansas and prosecute you,” Kobach, a Republican, said in a statement.

“Kansasans deserve the most secure elections possible. »

No Labels is a political party founded in 2009 and similar in size to the Libertarian Party. It was recognized as a political party in Kansas in January after submitting a petition containing signatures from registered voters equaling 2% of the total votes cast in the state's 2022 general election for governor.

No Labels considered launching a presidential campaign with a third party, but ultimately decided not to nominate a candidate.

Johnson faces 18 counts of election forgery and one count of election perjury in Johnson County District Court, including one count of election perjury and 18 counts of election forgery. Andrews is charged with two counts of election perjury and 28 counts of election tampering.

Andrews is also facing legal issues in Florida. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement previously said Andrews and another person allegedly submitted 133 invalid petitions in several Florida counties for a Feb. 6 abortion rights ballot initiative. It's unclear if Johnson is the other person.

Kobach's office said Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab, a Republican, reviewed the allegations against Johnson before referring the case to Kobach. On Tuesday, Schwab said in a statement that “my office is committed to pursuing any evidence of election crime.” Kansas has strong laws to ensure the integrity of our elections, and this case demonstrates that the process works. »

The Star's Joseph Hernandez contributed to this report