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The chairman of the Duval County Florida vote-counting board, Judge Brent Shore, donated to President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign at least 12 times as of Oct. 29, 2020. Although there are rules requiring judges to refrain from donating and public support, he has his home covered in signs supporting Republican candidates, including Trump and Congressman John Rutherford. The Canvassing Board bars members from displaying campaign signs also.
The Canvassing Board has been counting mailed ballots before the election is a three-person crew with a county commissioner, a county judge leads an election supervisor. Senior Judge Shore refused to answer questions in front of the Judicial Qualification Commission. The commission holds power to prosecute and remove him from his position.
Someone from another Divison of Election said his removal from the board might require a lawsuit.
The Judicial Ethics Committee ruled that judges and their spouses can not place political signs in their yard. The donations that he gave to Trump violates rules because judges are not allowed to endorse or give contributions to political organization or candidate.
At the door of their Atlantic Beach home, the judge’s wife, Kathryn Petway Shore, asked reporters how they knew her husband donated to Trump. She stated the Federal Elections Commission’s donor database must be wrong.
She said her husband did not give to Trump re-election and the signs in their yard belong to her:
My husband would never do anything unethical or improper, I am not a judge, and those signs are mine.
Written by Jessica Letcher
Edited by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources:
The Florida Times-Union: Duval County judge leading vote-counting board donated to Trump 12 times. That’s not allowed.; Andrew Pantazi
Action News Jax: Calls for local judge on Duval’s Elections Canvassing board to resign; Hannah Lee
USA Today: Florida judge leading a vote-counting board donated to Trump 12 times, breaking judicial rules; Andrew Pantazi
Featured Image Courtesy of wp paarz’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Gage Skidmore’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
