Courtesy
of O’Harrow and Boburg at the Washington
Post. Trump’s chief
strategist Steve Bannon, a white nationalist who has repeatedly pushed false
claims of massive voter fraud by minorities voting in jurisdictions where they
do not actually live, is now the subject of an active criminal
investigation in Florida, centering on Bannon’s “residency” and
“qualifi[cations] to vote in the state”:The Post learned that state prosecutors in Miami have an active investigation into Bannon’s assertions that he was a Florida resident and qualified to vote in the state from 2014 to 2016.
In late August, investigators subpoenaed Bannon’s lease of a Coconut Grove home and other documents. They also contacted the landlords of that home and another that Bannon leased nearby, and sought information from a gardener and handyman who worked at one of the homes, according to documents and interviews.
The
problem for Mr. Bannon is that it seems he may have actually been living in
California (or possibly in Washington, or New York, but definitely not
Florida):
[Bannon] owned a house and condo in Southern California, where he had entertainment and consulting businesses, a driver’s license and a checking account. He claimed Florida as his residence, registering to vote in Miami and telling authorities he lived at the same address as his third ex-wife….
He
did not get a Florida driver’s license or register a car in the state. He never
voted in Florida, and neighbors near two homes he leased in Miami said they
never saw him. His rent and utility bills were sent to his business manager in
California.
Even
if the Florida investigation comes up empty, the story might not be over. There
is significant speculation, previously reported in an August
2016 Guardian story (and re-upped by the Post article) that he may have
been trying to avoid California taxes.
Dear Attorney General Becerra: this seems worth taking
a look at, doesn’t it?