Two Sitting St. Johns County Commissioners Charged in Fake Voter Guide Scheme; Vice Chair Demands Resignations

Two sitting St. Johns County commissioners have been criminally charged over a counterfeit Republican voter guide mailed to tens of thousands of local voters during the 2024 primary — and now a colleague on the same board is publicly demanding they resign. Commissioners Christian Whitehurst (District 1) and Sarah Arnold (District 2) are among five people named in charging documents filed this week in the 7th Judicial Circuit Court, according to local news reports and the charging records described in that coverage.

Because Whitehurst and Arnold sit on the board that votes on local growth, roads, budgets and taxes, the charges land squarely on decisions that shape daily life across the county. The State Attorney's Office alleges the fake guide falsely told voters the local Republican Party had endorsed incumbents — in a year when the party had actually backed their challengers.

Who is charged, and with what

Five people are named. Alongside Whitehurst and Arnold are former St. Augustine Beach Mayor Dylan Rumrell — now a St. Augustine Beach city commissioner — political consultant Brianna Jordan of Front Street Consulting, and her then-employee Jamie Johnson. An intern, Garrett Davis, is also referenced in the case records. Jordan ran reelection campaigns for several local Republican incumbents, according to local reporting.

Whitehurst, Arnold and Rumrell each face two misdemeanor counts:

• Conspiracy
• Unauthorized voter guide — misrepresenting a mailer as an official party slate of endorsements

Jordan faces a third, more serious charge: tampering with physical evidence, a third-degree felony. Prosecutors allege she altered, destroyed, concealed or removed voter guides while knowing an investigation was underway or imminent. Her bond was set at $12,000 total — $10,000 on the tampering count and $1,000 each on the other two, according to local news reports. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement handled the investigation, and arrest warrants reached the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office on July 6.

What the guide allegedly did

The 2024 county commission races exposed a rift among local Republicans. The St. Johns County Republican Executive Committee (the local REC) endorsed a slate of newcomers — Ann-Marie Evans, Ann Taylor and Clay Murphy — who campaigned against the incumbents over the county's rapid growth. But many voters instead received a mailer that looked official and falsely indicated the party had endorsed the incumbents: Whitehurst, Roy Alaimo and former Commissioner Henry Dean.

According to a charging affidavit quoted in local coverage, the counterfeit guide copied the REC's official design but flipped the color scheme — swapping white lettering on red for red lettering on white — and omitted the legally required disclosure identifying who created and paid for it, a violation of Florida election law. Investigators allege the mailers were assembled at a rented St. Augustine house being used as a campaign headquarters, then shipped out from Orlando and Jacksonville in early August to hide where they came from.

The charging documents describe a hands-on operation: investigators allege Jordan's team worked with Whitehurst and Arnold to package the mailers, and note that Whitehurst's mother and Arnold's children were present while the work was done, with Rumrell also at the house.

A race decided by fewer than 1,000 votes

The stakes were narrow. While several endorsed candidates — including Murphy, Taylor and State Rep. Kim Kendall — ultimately won, Ann-Marie Evans lost to Whitehurst by fewer than 1,000 votes. Evans has said publicly she believes the fake guide cost her the race.

Kendall, whose own image was removed from the counterfeit guide, was among its targets. She has described hearing from voters who showed up to the polls clutching the fraudulent mailer, believing it was the real thing.

"Step down immediately"

On July 7, County Commission Vice Chair Ann Taylor issued a statement calling on the charged commissioners to leave office. She said that if there is any truth to the allegations, the accused should step down immediately so residents can have a board they trust — adding that the standard for holding public office is different from the standard for a criminal conviction.

Commissioner Clay Murphy struck a more measured tone, emphasizing that those charged are innocent until proven guilty while saying he was shaken by the case and that he strongly supports free and fair elections free of unlawful coercion.

The local GOP, which said it was the primary complainant that alerted investigators, welcomed the charges. Chair Denver Cook framed the case as an attempt to hijack the party's official voice and steal the voice of voters, and stressed the REC has issued no endorsements in the current primary cycle.

Attorneys for Whitehurst, Arnold and Rumrell released a joint statement noting the allegations had lingered nearly two years across various agencies, and said the three officials look forward to the conclusion of the matter and would have no further comment.

What happens next

As misdemeanor and felony cases move through the 7th Judicial Circuit Court, the immediate open question for residents is whether the two commissioners will remain in their seats while the case proceeds. Neither Whitehurst nor Arnold has announced any intention to resign. The county commission's regular meeting schedule and agendas are posted on the county's official site at sjcfl.us for residents who want to follow the board's business in the meantime.

For more on this developing story and the decisions coming out of the county commission, visit St. Johns Community Website and read more government & politics stories and crime & safety coverage. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X for updates as the case moves forward, and join the conversation in our Community Forum to share what you think should happen next.