LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – A Clermont woman accused of submitting fraudulent voter registration forms to the Lake County Supervisor of Elections has been described by the county's Republican Party as being a "rank and file" member of their organization.
Yet information posted on Cheryl Hall's Facebook page suggest the 63-year-old was heavily involved in voter registration events while attending numerous political functions.
Photographs on Hall’s Facebook page show her posing at events with high-profile Republicans like Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Rick Scott, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, Sean Hannity, Roger Stone and Donald Trump, Jr.
"Holy cow. When we discovered what was going on, we were all shocked," said Lake County Supervisor of Elections Alan Hays.
After Hays learned his office had received 119 voter registration applications that appeared to be fraudulent, he said he notified the state attorney along with Florida’s Secretary of State.
About 30 voters’ party affiliations were changed from Democrat or Independent to Republican, Hays said. Ten of those voters filed formal complaints.
Lake County Sheriff’s deputies later arrested Hall, who has been charged with 10 counts of submitting false voter registration information, a third-degree felony that carries a maximum five-year prison sentence.
Authorities have not indicated a potential motive for the voter fraud.
Hall did not respond to a voicemail left by News 6 seeking comment. She has not yet entered a plea in court.
According to investigators, Hall collected voter registration paperwork on behalf of a third-party organization, Florida First.
The organization pays employees hourly and does not compensate per registration submitted, according to a representative.
"Florida First is actively working with the Lake County Supervisor of Elections to ensure every voter is properly registered to vote," said state director Elicia Babac. "Florida First will continue to work tirelessly to serve communities that may be underrepresented and provide them access to voter registration services.”
Hall appeared to be heavily involved in local politics as a member of Lake County Republicans, according to posts on her Facebook page.
Although she was once elected as a district representative to handle voter initiatives, Hall was not a board member and never served as a delegate, according to Lake County Republicans chairman Walter Price.
"Certainly, we do not condone this type of behavior," Price told News 6. "As we speak, I've started the process to have her removed (as a member)."
Hays, who appears in photographs with Hall on her Facebook page, said he never collaborated with her on any projects and had no reason to suspect she might be involved in voter fraud.
"We happened to be at events at the same time," he said. "I never looked at any of the documents."
Hays is encouraging voters to verify their registration information by visiting the Supervisor of Elections website or calling his office.
“The integrity of our voter registration database is of paramount importance,” Hays said. “That integrity is still intact.”