Five people, including two sitting St. Johns County commissioners and a former St. Augustine Beach mayor, were charged this week in connection with an alleged fake Republican voter guide that hit local mailboxes ahead of the 2024 primary, according to court filings.
Who Was Charged And When
The charging documents name Brianna Maureen Jordan, Sarah Salley Arnold, Jamie Lynn Johnson, Dylan Andrew Rumrell and Christian Gerard Whitehurst. Arrest warrants for all five were received by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office on July 6, 2026, and were filed with the 7th Judicial Circuit, according to reporting by News4JAX.
What Prosecutors Say Happened
Prosecutors allege that between Aug. 1 and Aug. 15, 2024, the defendants produced and distributed a voter guide that falsely presented itself as an official publication of the St. Johns County Republican Executive Committee. The guide, they say, did not have the written authorization required under state law and lacked the prominent disclosures that are supposed to tell voters who is really behind political mailers. Those alleged omissions, along with the guide’s party-style presentation, are described in the charging documents obtained by News4JAX.
Legal Context
Florida added specific voter guide disclosure rules in 2023. The provision that requires clear disclaimers for mailed voter guides is set out in the bill creating section 106.1436 of the Florida Statutes. The law defines what counts as a “voter guide,” bars anyone from representing a guide as an official party publication without written permission and sets misdemeanor penalties for violations.
The tampering statute that prosecutors cite for a separate charge, tampering with physical evidence, is codified under Florida law as section 918.13. It criminalizes altering, destroying or hiding records or items when an investigation is pending. For the statutory language and penalties, see the 2023 bill text and Florida statutes.
Charges, Bond And Who Faces What
The five defendants each face misdemeanor counts of conspiracy and making an unauthorized voter guide, according to the charging papers. Jordan faces an additional third degree felony count of tampering with physical evidence. Her bond was set at $12,000, with $10,000 tied to the tampering charge and $1,000 each for the two misdemeanor counts. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement led the probe, according to the charging documents reported by News4JAX.
Local Context And Earlier Flap
Residents and local party officials had already been fuming about similar fake endorsement mailings during the August 2024 primary season, when palm cards and flyers that appeared to carry official county GOP endorsements were circulated and then publicly denounced by the local party. Local coverage at the time documented anger and concern from the county GOP and residents, according to Historic City News.
What Happens Next
The case is still in its early stages. Arrest warrants and charging documents have been filed, and the matter will now move through the 7th Judicial Circuit. Officials have not said whether any of the defendants have entered pleas. Court calendars typically list initial appearances, arraignments and bond conditions once defendants are booked and formally brought before a judge.
Sources
This report is based on charging documents and reporting by News4JAX, background reporting from the St. Johns Citizen and Historic City News, and the text of Florida’s 2023 voter guide legislation (S.7050) and state law references on evidence tampering, including Florida statutory references compiled online.
