I’m so old, I remember when Brenda Snipes, the controversial and disgraced Broward County Supervisor of Elections resigned after a firestorm of controversy over her handling of ballot counting in the 2018 midterms.
The resignation was effective January 4, 2019, the day after Republican Rick Scott’s term as Governor was to end and he was to move on to the U.S. Senate, having defeated Bill Nelson.
As we reported yesterday, November 30, 2019, Brenda Snipes resigned effective next January 4, but Rick Scott just preemptively suspended her.
Here is Scott’s statement announcing the suspension:
“Every eligible voter in Florida deserves their vote to be counted and should have confidence in Florida’s elections process. After a series of inexcusable actions, it’s clear that there needs to be an immediate change in Broward County and taxpayers should no longer be burdened by paying a salary for a Supervisor of Elections who has already announced resignation. I know that Pete will be solely focused on running free and fair elections, will not be running for election and will bring order and integrity back to this office.”
But wait, there’s more.
Snipes now says she’s rescinding her resignation and will fight the suspension. The Sun-Sentinel reports:
Broward Supervisor of Elections Dr. Brenda Snipes announced Saturday she will fight her suspension by the governor, and rescinded her letter of resignation that preceded it.Gov. Rick Scott suspended Snipes late Friday afternoon, citing mistakes her office made in recent elections.The elections office attorney, Burnadette Norris Weeks, said the governor is holding her to a different standard than other elections offices in Florida, “as if there can never be a mistake made.”In a room filled with black pastors, elected officials, community leaders and her fellow “Deltas” sorority sisters in their trademark red clothing, Snipes thanked her supporters.The suspension could cause Snipes to lose her pension from 15 years in the office, the announcement for the press conference suggested. But Norris Weeks said Snipes was unable to get answers to her questions about the pension Friday.She said Broward voters “should be very concerned about our democracy,” after a Republican governor removed a Democratic elections supervisor in a heavily Democratic county.
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The Miami Herald further reports:
“We will be fighting this,” said Burnadette Norris-Weeks, Snipes’ contracted attorney, during a press conference Saturday. “In additional to that, Dr. Snipes hereby rescinds her resignation which would have been effective on the fourth of January. She rescinds that resignation as we go forward and fight these…allegations that are frivolous.”
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