St. Johns County officials and operatives mailed counterfeit GOP voter guide to deceive Republican primary voters

Ahead of St. Johns County's August 20, 2024 Republican primary, someone mailed a counterfeit voter guide to Republican voters that copied the St. Johns County GOP's logo and branding and falsely presented itself as the party's official endorsement slate. The real guide, approved by the St. Johns County Republican Executive Committee in June 2024, endorsed a different set of eight candidates than the fake one, which boosted candidates including then-candidates Christian Whitehurst and Dylan Rumrell. The fraudulent mailer omitted the funding-source disclaimer required under Florida Statute 106.1436 and reached voters' mailboxes on the eve of early voting, prompting SJC Republican Party Chairman Denver Cook to call it "one of probably the most flagrant frauds on voters" he had witnessed.

Nearly two years later, in July 2026, Florida prosecutors charged five people in connection with the scheme: sitting County Commissioners Sarah Arnold and Christian Whitehurst, St. Augustine Beach Commissioner and then-Mayor Dylan Rumrell, political consultant Briana Jordan, and Jamie Lynn Johnson. Prosecutors allege the group worked together between roughly August 1 and August 15, 2024 to produce and distribute the guide without the Republican Executive Committee's authorization. Whitehurst and Rumrell, who the fake guide had promoted, both went on to win their 2024 races; Arnold was not on that year's ballot. The charging documents describe all five as principals who can be punished as if they personally committed the offense, regardless of individual roles.

Updates

2026-07-06 -- Five defendants charged in 8th Judicial Circuit following outside-prosecutor assignment [2, 3]

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement's investigation led to charges filed by 8th Judicial Circuit State Attorney Brian Kramer, whose office took the case after the 7th and 4th Circuits recused, following a confidential April 2, 2026 executive order from Gov. Ron DeSantis assigning it out of circuit. Arnold, Whitehurst, Rumrell, Jordan, and Johnson each face misdemeanor conspiracy and unauthorized-voter-guide counts; Jordan faces an additional third-degree felony evidence-tampering count, with bond set at $12,000. Arrest warrants were received by the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office on July 6, 2026.