On Tuesday, during a segment on CBS Evening News, the leftwing newscast seemed shocked and appalled that in Florida, violent felons are being arrested for committing an act of voter fraud by illegally voting when they had lost their right to cast their ballots after being convicted of felonies.
“In footage obtained by CBS News on August 18, police showed up at the Tampa home of Tony Patterson a registered sex offender who was told he was under arrest for voter fraud,” correspondent Ed O’Keefe announced.
“That same day, Romona Oliver, who served 18 years on a second-degree murder charge was arrested for voting illegally in 2020 even though she’d received a voter I.D. card from the state,” O’Keefe added.
He then reported that “Patterson and 18 others were accused of violating a 2018 state law that allows most former felons to vote after they complete their sentences. But not those convicted of murder or felony sex offenses. As Patterson and Oliver were.”
Then what’s the problem? O’Keefe admitted that they were forbidden from voting because of the crimes they were convicted of. The purpose of running this story is obviously an attempt to smear Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis.
Attempting to make the story seem suspicious and that these criminals were set up, O’Keefe whined that “the arrests were made following investigations by a controversial state police force established by the governor to investigate voter fraud. In the videos first obtained by the Tampa Bay Times, Patterson tells a police officer he was misled.”
O’Keefe then went to Cecile Scoon of the leftist organization League of Women Voters to let her whine about the arrests: “If you are going to hold this high bar and say it's against the law, make it so that the person is notified from the outset,” she cried adding “don't allow them to go through the system and then, after the fact, go, gotcha.”
“Critics say part of the problem is that the Florida voter registration form doesn't say anything about which former felons can have their right to vote restored or which ones aren't eligible to vote,” O’Keefe ended his report whining.
CBS’s sympathetic segment for violent felons committing voter fraud was made possible by Red Lobster. Their information is linked.
To read the relevant transcript click “expand”:
CBS Evening News
10/18/2022
6:37:33 p.m. EasternNORAH O’DONNELL: Well, from Ohio to Florida, where there is outrage tonight over newly released body cam footage showing the arrests of several people accused of voter fraud. A 2018 state constitutional amendment restored the right to vote for many ex-felons, but confusion remains over the law four years later. Here's CBS Ed O'Keefe.
ED O’KEEFE: In footage obtained by CBS News on August 18, police showed up at the Tampa home of Tony Patterson a registered sex offender who was told he was under arrest for voter fraud.
TONY PATTERSON: Voter fraud? What is voter fraud?
POLICE OFFICER: Voting when you're not supposed to sir.
O’KEEFE: That same day, Romona Oliver, who served 18 years on a second-degree murder charge was arrested for voting illegally in 2020 even though she’d received a voter I.D. card from the state.
ROMONA OLIVER: Voter fraud? I voted but didn't commit no fraud. I was headed to work when you stopped me.
O’KEEFE: Patterson and 18 others were accused of violating a 2018 state law that allows most former felons to vote after they complete their sentences. But not those convicted of murder or felony sex offenses. As Patterson and Oliver were. They now face five years in prison. Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis touted the arrests that same day.
GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS: They did not get their rights restored and yet they went ahead and voted anyways. That is against the law, and now they're gonna pay the price for it.
O’KEEFE: The arrests were made following investigations by a controversial state police force established by the governor to investigate voter fraud. In the videos first obtained by the Tampa Bay Times, Patterson tells a police officer he was misled.
PATTERSON: Why would you let me vote if I wasn't able to vote?
POLICE OFFICER: I'm not sure, buddy, I don't know.
O’KEEFE: And that confusion is exactly what voting experts say shouldn't have been allowed in the first place.
CECILE SCOON (PRESIDENT, LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF FLORIDA): If you are going to hold this high bar and say it's against the law, make it so that the person is notified from the outset. Don't allow them to go through the system and then, after the fact, go, gotcha.
O’KEEFE: Critics say part of the problem is that the Florida voter registration form doesn't say anything about which former felons can have their right to vote restored or which ones aren't eligible to vote. One of those arrested in August said a local DMV official told him he could register. Governor DeSantis' office didn't return our request for comment, Norah.
