A supporter of Donald Trump blamed voter fraud charges against him on bad blood between the former president and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).
Robert Rivernider was charged last week for allegedly signing his dead father's name on a ballot in 2020. Sumter County election officials, however, never counted the vote because it was postmarked four days after his father's death. A criminal complaint said the handwriting on the ballot was similar to Rivernider's signature and not his father's.
Rivernider is facing charges of felony forgery of a public record and fraud.
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In an interview with The Associated Press, the defendant blamed DeSantis supporters for the charges.
"There is a lot of politics that goes on here in Sumter County and they don't like the fact that I don't follow their system," he argued.
Rivernider pointed out he was charged almost three years after the election.
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"Rivernider was convicted a decade ago in federal court in Connecticut of orchestrating a $20 million real estate flipping scheme and has still been paying restitution to dozens of victims," the AP added.
Felons cannot vote in Florida until they have repaid all fines and legal fees.
