Republican Party of Florida Chairman Evan Power has issued a sharp rebuke against legal challenges filed by what he describes as “liberal dark money groups” against the state’s newly enacted election integrity law, HB 1205.
The law, signed by Governor Ron DeSantis on May 3, 2025, aims to tighten regulations on the petition process for ballot initiatives, citing concerns of fraud and abuse. Power contends that the lawsuits are a “desperate attempt” by outside organizations to undermine the legislative process and manipulate the Florida Constitution for political gain.
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“It’s no surprise that well-funded, left-wing dark money groups—many backed by anonymous donors and based outside of Florida—are resorting to lawsuits in a desperate attempt to overturn HB 1205,” Power stated. “These shady organizations masquerade as grassroots activists but are part of a coordinated national effort to mislead voters, bypass the legislative process, and manipulate our state constitution for political gain.”
HB 1205 was passed by the Republican-led legislature in response to findings from the Secretary of State and the Office of Election Crimes and Security, which revealed instances of forged signatures, stolen personal information, and petitions signed in the names of deceased individuals.
The law introduces several key safeguards:
- Citizenship Requirement: Only U.S. citizens are permitted to collect petition signatures.
- Residency and Background Checks: Petition gatherers must be Florida residents and undergo background checks.
- Timely Petition Submission: Petitions must be returned within a specified timeframe to mitigate fraud and abuse.
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“This shady, profit-driven petition industry has operated in the shadows for too long—weakening confidence in our constitutional amendment process,” Power wrote. “HB 1205 puts a stop to that and ensures that future ballot initiatives are legitimate, transparent, and secure.”
He further accused the challenging groups of attempting to “buy their way onto the ballot” after failing to achieve their objectives through the legislative process.
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“These lawsuits are nothing more than political actions from groups that can’t win in the legislature, so they’re trying to buy their way onto the ballot,” said Power. “Florida’s Constitution is not for sale.”
Power vowed to defend the new law against any legal challenges.
“We won’t be intimidated by baseless legal challenges. We will stand strong, defend our Constitution, and protect the integrity of our elections. We will not back down. We will fight.”
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