St. Johns lawmaker suggests replacement for accused commissioners

A state representative from St. Augustine is recommending a replacement if the governor decides to remove two St. Johns County commissioners recently charged with criminal misdemeanors.

County Commissioners Sarah Arnold and Christian Whitehurst were among five people charged in relation to a fraudulent voter guide issued during the 2024 election cycle. The guide purported to come from the local Republican Party and indicated that the party endorsed candidates it had not. 

Whitehurst was among the candidates in that guide, and he is accused of taking part in mailing the fake guides. He was ultimately elected in 2024, narrowly defeating County Commission candidate Ann-Marie Evans.

Now, state Rep. Kim Kendall, a Republican from St. Augustine, says the candidate Whitehurst defeated would be a good replacement. She points out in a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis that Evans lost to Whitehurst by only about 800 votes.

“Approximately 30,000 fake mailers were distributed in that race,” writes Kendall, who was one of the people targeted by the fake guide. “Given the narrow margin of defeat … it is reasonable to conclude that this mailer campaign had a material effect on the outcome.”

Whitehurst’s replacement would finish out the remaining two years of his current term on the County Commission. 

Evans, for her part, has taken to social media to urge people to contact the governor’s office and recommend her appointment, too.

Current County Commissioner Ann Taylor, who ran a joint campaign in 2024 with Evans, has also called on Arnold and Whitehurst to resign their posts.

As for Arnold, her tenure on the board is just about up — she chose not to file for reelection for her seat. 

Kendall recommends that the governor expedite the swearing-in of whoever wins the race for Arnold’s seat in this year’s election.

“I therefore recommend that whoever prevails in the August 18 election also be appointed to serve as temporary Commissioner for District 2 for the brief interim period between any potential suspension and the start of the new term in November,” Kendall writes.

Four candidates — all Republicans — are vying for Arnold’s seat: Heather Brofford, Tim Burres, Will McMullan and Martin Pyszczymuka.

Kendall acknowledges that Whitehurst and Arnold may not be removed from office, but she urges DeSantis to keep her recommendations in mind. 

“I want to be clear that these recommendations are contingent: they apply only if the pending charges are found to be true and a suspension of one or both Commissioners is ultimately required under the proper legal process,” Kendall writes. “I offer them now simply so that the perspective of this office, and the residents I represent, is part of your consideration should that situation arise.”

Kendall’s letter does not reference St. Augustine Beach City Commissioner Dylan Rumrell, who was also charged in connection to the voter guide.

She says she appreciates the work that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and state attorney’s office have taken to investigate the fake guide.

“Getting to the truth is imperative,” Kendall tells Jacksonville Today. “If we do not have election integrity, we don’t have anything.” 

Other reaction

Since the criminal charges were announced this week, a number of local individuals have commented on the situation, although the people charged have stayed silent. 

In a statement to the media, state Rep. Tom Leek, R-Ormond Beach, whose district includes part of St. Johns County, denounced the alleged criminal activity of political consultant Brianna Jordan. 

Jordan, who ran a political consulting firm representing a number of St. Johns County politicians including Leek, received the same charges as Arnold, Whitehurst and Rumrell, in addition to a felony charge of evidence tampering.

Leek says he terminated his contract with Jordan upon learning about the voter guides and contacted the state’s election crimes unit to file a complaint.

“This type of garbage is what is wrong with politics today and the reason that many decent people avoid it,” Leek says in his statement. “This is why I had added language to Florida’s voter election integrity law as a member of the State House that makes it a crime to publish voter guides under the banner of a political party without permission.” 

Leek goes on to say that he had “no knowledge of the alleged actions prior to them being taken.”

Jordan turned herself into Nassau County law enforcement this week. The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office announced in a social media post that the agency was not involved in the investigation.

“Sheriff Rob Hardwick is an elected official and was a candidate during the 2024 primary election; therefore, the agency recused itself when this fraud was brought to our attention due to a conflict of interest. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement assumed the investigation in partnership with the Office of the State Attorney, Eighth Judicial Circuit.” 

One of Hardwick’s 2024 opponents, Jim Priester, was also working with Jordan’s consulting firm, although Priester was not charged in the alleged voter guide scheme.

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The St. Johns County Commission will meet next at 9 a.m. July 21 at the County Auditorium at 500 San Sebastian View. The St. Augustine Beach City Commission will meet next at 6 p.m. Monday. Both meetings are open to the public.