Prison? No problem!

Jose Vazquez lists his residence as a prison on the south shore of Lake Okeechobee where he's serving time on a felony conviction, according to papers filed with the state.

That didn't stop the state Division of Elections from declaring him a qualified write-in candidate this week for the state House of Representatives District 58 seat.

The move appears to have broken two laws.

Vazquez clearly doesn't live in the district he wants to represent. And as a felon serving time, he hasn't had his civil rights restored, so he can't run for office.

Jennifer Davis, a spokeswoman for the Department of State, says it's not the division's job to check whether Vazquez  lives in the district or is a felon. "We're merely the clerical agency that takes in the papers," she said. "We don't investigate."

She said Vazquez turned in the proper forms and filled them out correctly. Vazquez is seeking the seat held by Mike Scionti, D-Tampa, who hopes to win his second term in office. He also qualified to run this week.

Comments

Doesn't Mike Scionti live on Davis Island? I don't think that's in the district either.

Aren't politicians all criminals?

Dems typically try to register felons and the dead or at least make their votes count (at least twice)...

McCain is a flips again...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEtZlR3zp4c&feature=related

It saves time for a politician to already be in jail.

The reporter here is right as to two violations of law but for the wrong reasons:

1. She's right that a felon can't vote until his rights are restored.

2. She's wrong about having to live in the district at the time he qualifies. Florida's Constitution and every case interpreting it says that residency must be as of the time the person is ELECTED; i.e. right after the General Election when the results are certified.

3. However, the filing papers include an affidavit in which the candidate swears that he's eligible to hold the office he seeks. This guy isn't since he's not a registered voter. That's known a "false swearing" and perhaps perjury.

His inability to run may not be a good result, though... perhaps his incarceration has taught him a lessons that our legislators have yet to learn:

There are genuine consequences to your actions and some of them aren't good.

[M.S.]

Somebody ought to look into this. It's not fair that Vazquez is getting all this free publicity for his election campaign.

trey treviesa doesn't even live in hillsborough county, but he keeps on running.