Bill Cervone files challenge to Christopher Chestnut’s voting status

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

State Attorney Bill Cervone yesterday filed an affidavit with the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections, challenging Christopher Chestnut’s right to vote in Alachua County. The challenge stated, “As State Attorney I have received sufficient information to establish probable cause that this individual does not currently and has not for several years lived at his claimed address or within Alachua County, Florida.”

The Florida Department of State referred an election fraud complaint against Christopher M. Chestnut to Larry Keefe, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, and Bill Cervone, State Attorney for the 8th Judicial Circuit in Gainesville, in a December 27 letter.

The complaint alleged that Chestnut ““fraudulently voted in Florida in the 2018, primary and general elections while a resident of another state, Georgia.”

The 2018 election featured Democrat Andrew Gillum as a candidate for Florida governor; Chestnut and Gillum’s friendship goes back to high school, and Chestnut has been described as Gillum’s “best friend.”

Voting records show that Chestnut voted in person in the Florida primary and general elections in August and November, 2018.