Judge Dismisses Charges Against St. Johns County Officials in Fake Voter Guide Case

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Charges were dismissed Friday against three St. Johns County elected officials accused of involvement in a fake voter guide distributed during the 2024 election.

The judge determined that the conspiracy and unauthorized voter guide charges filed against County Commissioners Sarah Arnold and Christian Whitehurst, along with former St. Augustine Beach Mayor Dylan Rumrell, fell outside the court’s jurisdiction.

Campaign consultant Brianna Jordan remains the only defendant still facing a felony charge, alleging that she tampered with evidence.

“This prosecution is not unconstitutional. It’s not a selective prosecution,” Prosecutor Ralph Yazdiya told the court. “What we’re talking about is very simple — they did not get permission.”

That argument formed the centerpiece of Friday’s hearing over the allegedly fraudulent voter guide.

St. Johns County Republican Party leaders began raising concerns as voters headed to the polls in 2024.

Two voter guides were being circulated. They looked nearly identical and both claimed to represent the county Republican Party, but they recommended different candidates. Only one had actually been authorized by the party.

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“If these defendants wanted to stand outside, endorsing these candidates with a banner, they can do that,” Yazdiya said. “But when they represent that they are the Republican Party of St. Johns County and identify what it endorses, that is different.”

Five people were initially charged with misdemeanors in connection with the fake voter guides, including the three elected officials. Defense attorneys succeeded in having the charges dismissed against four defendants, including Arnold, Whitehurst and Rumrell.

All four defendants had been charged only with misdemeanors, a distinction that became central to the defense’s argument.

“Circuit courts have jurisdiction of all felonies and of all misdemeanors arising out of the same circumstances of a felony which is also charged,” one defense attorney said. “It is our contention that this court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over the misdemeanants solely charged with misdemeanors in this case.”

The judge agreed, leaving Jordan as the lone defendant still facing prosecution because her case also includes the felony evidence-tampering charge.

“It is obvious they were trying to dispose, conceal or destroy as much of the evidence as they could by purchasing a BBQ grill and burning them, and we have a witness who can say that,” Yazdiya said.

“It’s a rare case when you say the evidence was destroyed, but we have boxes and boxes of evidence,” defense attorney Thomas Bishop said.

The judge said he would take Jordan’s felony case under advisement. The parties are scheduled to meet by Zoom on Monday to determine whether the case will proceed to trial.