Eatonville mayor on grand jury: No election fraud

Eatonville Mayor Anthony Grant is again denying any wrongdoing in response to a report that the local State Attorney’s Office is investigating him for alleged election fraud.

A WFTV-Channel 9 report said a grand jury will hear testimony about Grant’s role in the March election in Eatonville, in which he defeated former Mayor Bruce Mount.

A lawsuit filed by Mount, claiming that Grant offered bribes in exchange for votes via absentee ballots, already has led to an ongoing investigation by the Florida Division of Law Enforcement.

Mount’s lawsuit was eventually dismissed by a circuit court judge in August on a technicality. Mount and his attorneys had named the wrong canvassing board as a co-defendant.

Angela Starke, spokeswoman for State Attorney Jeff Ashton, said she could not confirm any report of a grand jury. An FDLE spokesman referred questions to Ashton’s office.

Grant said he was developing a statement and would hold a press conference on Monday to answer charges of wrongdoing.

“I believe State Attorney Ashton is very smart and he’ll see how this has been politically motivated,” Grant said Thursday. “I’m optimistic everything is going to be fine.”

Grant received 65 votes at the polls to Mount’s 80 in the election, but Grant pulled ahead with 196 absentee votes to Mount’s 69.

Mount’s lawsuit alleged “several witnesses have come forward stating Mr. Grant offered monetary rewards, or bribes. … In addition, several witnesses have come forward stating they will testify Mr. Grant would reduce the rent of his tenants if they voted for Mr. Grant in their absentee ballot in the election.”

In interviews with the Sentinel in April, two of the people listed in the filing, Delores McKnight and Bobby Taylor, denied they had met with Grant or that he paid for their votes.