Attorney General James Uthmeier announces arrest in constitutional amendment petition fraud investigation
Press release from the Office of Attorney General James Uthmeier
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Attorney General James Uthmeier today announced the arrest of Alexandria Mary Beatrice Tatem for Perjury by False Written Declaration, a third-degree felony under Florida law. The arrest follows a joint investigation led by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Office of Executive Investigations and the Elections Crime Unit.
“We will not tolerate fraud, let alone fraud that undermines the integrity of Florida’s nation-leading election system or uses the names of deceased voters to change our state’s constitution,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “This arrest shows our commitment to upholding the law and protecting the sanctity of Florida’s elections. My office will continue to lead the charge against any form of voter fraud in Florida.”
According to the investigation, Tatem, a registered Paid Petition Circulator (PPC), submitted a petition in support of a constitutional amendment initiative titled Adult Personal Use of Marijuana (Amendment 25-01), sponsored by Smart & Safe Florida. The petition falsely claimed to have been signed by Amy Akins, a Florida voter who passed away on January 10, 2024 — more than a year before the date the petition was allegedly signed. The petition was submitted to the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections.
Per State law, PPCs must swear under penalty of perjury that each petition they submit was signed in their presence by the named voter. Tatem signed the affidavit on the petition affirming it was completed in her presence. During a sworn interview conducted by FDLE on July 1, 2025, in Killeen, Texas, Tatem confirmed that she signed the affidavit and submitted the petition, even after being shown that the voter listed had died more than a year prior.
The investigation revealed that Tatem had been registered as a PPC with the Florida Department of State’s Division of Elections since 2019. Tatem collected and submitted petitions in the Tampa Bay and Sarasota regions. Election officials identified the forged petition due to the voter’s death before the date of the alleged signature.
The Office of Statewide Prosecution is charging Tatem with one count of Perjury by False Written Declaration, a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison.
I’ve heard of people seeing dead people but not of dead people signing things.
😖Gotta hate it when that happens.🤣
It’s never enough to alter results. Just like presidential elections.
Agreed. I did have a friend whose brother changed the beneficiary on his dad’s life insurance policy though. Also used his credit card. All after their father died. One was a Sr the other a Jr so unless anyone checked the I.D. they wouldn’t know. Think they bought pizza and other stuff.
I think he coaches or referees college basketball games.
Not the greatest example of character for doing either of those.
There is BIG money involved in this amendment.
Another libertine dirtbag, big surprise! 👹👿💩🤡👺
Good, now get on that Hope Florida scam the governor ran in opposition to that same ballot amendment.
What scam??? How bout your home girl Stacy Abrams and the 2 billion dollar theft. Oh yeah.
WHATABOUT WHATABOUT? It’s like the only way that the Reich winger know how to defend their crooked ass politicians.
Nice distraction from the 10 million dollar that got diverted to go against the initiative
Urhmeier was part of that scam. Hopefully he and the Governor get charged with a felony on that, like the penny ante case here he thought worthy of a press release. Diversion of $10 million for illegally funding a campaign contribution is not small potatoes.
The Orlando Sentinel has new information, which is damning to those 2.
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/08/15/lawyers-set-a-meeting-with-desantis-office-then-the-first-ladys-hope-florida-got-millions-records-show/
People will do or say or defend any behavior to get and stay high. By the way, the first studies are out for the chronic users, with their “anxiety” and “glaucoma” and “fibro”. It isn’t harmless after all, yet we’re in the first generation of people that want to fight if they smell second hand cigarette smoke, but straight-faced tell you MJ smoke is harmless.
Are ID’s required to sign petitions? Has this person submitted other questionable petitions, if so how many?
If only the State would work this hard on the $10 million misappropriation of Florida Medicaid settlement dollars to the Hope Foundation and overseen by our now Attorney General.