Felon GOP US House Nominee Did Not Go Through Florida Process To Restore Right To Hold Public Office

Florida Politics reports:

The winning Republican in this week’s congressional Primary in South Florida is a former felon who did not go through the state’s process to restore his civil rights after imprisonment, interviews and records show. That step is required under Florida law for a candidate to hold political office. Jason Mariner, 36, an advertising executive and self-described “America First” conservative candidate, won Tuesday’s GOP primary with 58% of votes in Florida’s 20th, which is heavily Democratic.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether the election’s outcome would be challenged. The General Election will be on Jan. 11. Democrats have held the seat — one of the most Democratic districts in Florida — for more than two decades. Mariner had served roughly two years total in the Palm Beach County Jail over 2007 and 2012 on charges that included felony theft, burglary, cocaine possession, obstruction and violently resisting arrest, records show.

Read the full article. There’s much more. As you can see in the second clip below, Mariner was quite open about his past during the campaign.

RT: ‘I guess I trusted the system a little too much.’

Ex-felon @VoteMariner — Republican CD20 Primary winner — never applied for right to hold political office

via @CorbinBolies & @FreshTakeFlahttps://t.co/OcvbR2vPIm #FlaPol pic.twitter.com/lAoxOCI7Wq

— Phil Ammann ?⌨️? (@PhilAmmann) November 4, 2021