Emails and text messages obtained by POLITICO show Florida’s new election law was drafted with the help of the Republican Party of Florida’s top lawyer — and that a crackdown on mail-in ballot requests was seen as a way for the GOP to erase the edge Dems had in 2020.
One text message exchange showed RPOF chair Joe Gruters defending a Senate proposal to cancel all existing mail-in ballot requests, saying that it would be “devastating” for Republicans to keep them valid heading into the 2022 election
Gruters to House sponsor Blaise Ingoglia: “We cannot make up ground. Trump campaign spent 10 million. Could not cut down lead,” he said about mail-in ballot requests
Gruters (R-Sarasota) also said it would hurt the GOP in non-partisan races, noting that “our school board member got killed” in a local race. Gruters last week filed legislation that would ask voters to make school board races partisan.
Fla. Leg decided to shorten the time mail-in ballot requests are valid, but didn't cancel current ones. When asked about his text messages, Gruters said “what I said in my text message was accurate. I think the failure to do a reset will have a detrimental impact going forward.”
Here's the story POLITICO sent out to subscribers this a.m. - subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2021/0…
The emails and texts were handed over in discovery to those challenging Florida's election law in federal court. POLITICO put in a records request to House, Senate and governor's office for the items
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