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Judge dismisses lawsuit against Seminole County elections supervisor, says no evidence of law violations

Chris Anderson sued over reelection campaign

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – A judge dismissed a lawsuit Monday against incumbent Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Chris Anderson that accused him of violating campaign laws.

A supporter of Chris Anderson’s opponent, Amy Pennock, accused Anderson of using his position to promote his reelection campaign, including greeting voters at polling places and making his name bigger on supervisor of elections office signage.

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On Friday, the judge issued a temporary injunction, barring Anderson from going to polling places and interacting with voters unless he was actively there on official business.

However, on Monday, the judge said she did not see any evidence or hear any testimony that supported the allegations against Anderson, and granted Anderson’s motion for a “directed verdict.”

That means the judge found no legally sufficient basis a jury would reach a different conclusion from the judge’s, based on the evidence.

The hearing comes ahead of the Republican primary in Seminole County on Tuesday.

Anderson said if he is reelected, he plans to continue his efforts to conduct fair and safe elections while keeping the cost of his office low, according to his website.


About the Author

Haley is a digital content producer for ClickOrlando.com and first started as a News 6 producer in October 2014. She's a graduate of Indiana University with a Bachelors of Arts degree in journalism. She specializes in theme parks and lifestyle writing.

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