Lake Republicans censure tax collector and his brother over 'voter fraud' claims – Orlando Sentinel

An outraged Lake County Republican Party executive committee voted unanimously Tuesday to censure Tax Collector David Jordan and his brother Mark, alleging they “concocted a plot to steal the Republican nomination” for the position from real estate appraiser to outgoing president Carey Baker.

The party's resolution alleges the Jordan brothers waited Friday for Baker to leave the elections supervisor's office so Mark Jordan could file last-minute paperwork to run against him. Because Baker had run as a write-in candidate, the result was that Jordan's name would appear on the ballot while Baker's would not.

Baker said he confided his intention to file a write-in candidacy — something he was doing to save the $10,000-plus filing fee for regular candidates — to David Jordan, a fellow Republican he considered a friend.

Although a censure is largely symbolic, Republican Party Chairman Anthony Sabatini said this morning that the action opens up a range of options: “We can ban (them) from party events, strip them of official recognition , remove them from the party website, literature and other resources.”

Neither David Jordan nor Mark Jordan responded to phone messages.

On the social media platform regarding election fraud” alleged against Baker.

Sabatini said the party needs to focus on convicting the Jordans and pressuring Mark Jordan to step down, which would return the $168,000-a-year position to Baker for a fourth term, since he does not there are no other candidates. He has been a real estate appraiser since 2012, when he defeated nine-term real estate appraiser Ed Havill.

If Jordan remains in the race, Baker will likely have to persuade tens of thousands of voters to write in his name, a difficult task.

“I told all parties involved that I thought a write-in campaign was both a distraction and almost impossible to win,” Sabatini said. “But also, by simply attempting a write-in campaign, you are inadvertently normalizing this disturbing, moronic behavior that we have witnessed from the Jordans.”

Mark Jordan only submitted his real estate appraiser qualification documents – or the $10,685.04 qualification fee – after Baker left the Lake County Supervisor of Elections office immediately after the deadline noon qualifying session. Baker, Jordans and Michael Holland, David Jordan's chief of staff and Mark's campaign treasurer, were waiting in line together to have their election paperwork processed.

David Jordan was re-elected tax collector Friday when he saw the outcome Baker expected: No one was qualified to challenge him.

“It’s serpentine and morally reprehensible,” Sabatini said of Jordan’s tactics. “They literally stood there and watched Mr. Baker slowly walk away.”

Sabatini said defenders of the Jordan chicanery wrongly argue that it's just politics.

“Their strategy here is threefold: One, bring this out so people kind of forget and think about the next Hunter Biden story or whatever; second, count on voter confusion because it's extremely technical legally, regarding legal deadlines for filing fees, nominations, and qualified agents; and third, it comes to be seen as a purely political problem and not a moral problem. We see that they just outsmarted him.

Baker could not be reached by telephone this morning. A scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts of America, he was with members of his troop at a summer camp in Georgia.

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