Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Peter Antonacci to guide a brand new elections fraud workplace in July 2022, just some months earlier than Antonacci died contained in the Capitol constructing.

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Peter Antonacci to guide a brand new elections fraud workplace in July 2022, just some months earlier than Antonacci died contained in the Capitol constructing.

Jim Vondruska/Getty Images

Florida’s high election fraud officer collapsed within the hallway of the governor’s workplace after a heated assembly, then lay lifeless or dying for twenty-four minutes earlier than somebody got here to his support, in response to a brand new report from an area watchdog group.

Peter Antonacci, who was appointed to guide Florida’s controversial new elections fraud workplace in July 2022, died on the state Capitol constructing weeks later, on Sept. 23, 2022.

Initial stories of his demise have been scant on particulars, saying solely that he died of a heart attack “while at work in the Capitol building.” The 74-year-old had a identified historical past of coronary heart illness and cardiac situations, in response to his spouse.

On Sunday, a legislation enforcement investigation into the demise was launched by the Florida Bulldog, an impartial on-line watchdog group that displays state politics and authorities.

The 17-page investigation, retrieved via a public data request, paints a fuller portrait of Antonacci’s demise, together with that he’d simply left a contentious assembly with a number of the state’s high officers contained in the workplace of Gov. Ron DeSantis.

What’s within the data?

The investigation states that Antonacci had been assembly with 11 individuals, however just a few are recognized by identify, together with:

• James C. Byrd, Florida’s secretary of state
• Bradley McVay, Byrd’s normal counsel
• Scott McInerney, a director of government investigations with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FLDE) 
• Shane Desguin, FDLE chief of employees
• Mark Glass, FDLE commissioner
• Ryan Newman, FDLE normal counsel
• Scott Strauss, Antonacci’s deputy

DeSantis was not named as an attendee.

The assembly was known as to debate “an election topic,” in response to Desguin, however different particulars on its agenda seem to have been redacted from the data. The data additionally include references to surveillance video (with out audio), however that materials wasn’t included with the general public data launch, the Bulldog reported.

Several of the attendees provided investigators the same account on Antonacci’s demeanor.

Glass stated Antonacci had been “agitated.” McInerney stated that the assembly contained a “back and forth discussion with everyone involved,” and Antonacci “abruptly got up from his seat and walked out.” Desguin stated that Antonacci had moments of being “frustrated” and left after roughly half-hour of debate.

Antonacci was seen leaving the convention room at roughly 1:46 p.m. ET. Surveillance video exhibits him “staggering as he moved forward until he collapsed to the floor,” hanging his head on a door body on the way in which down, in response to investigators.

It was one other 24 minutes earlier than anybody was seen coming to his support.

Glass had stepped out from the convention room and into the hallway to talk along with his normal counsel when he caught sight of what seemed to be Antonacci’s slacks and footwear mendacity toes-down round a nook, in response to his account within the data.

Glass discovered that Antonacci didn’t have a pulse and appeared blue within the face, however he started doing chest compressions.

Glass known as for Desguin, who left the convention room pondering there was probably an lively shooter on the premises. Desguin un-holstered his gun; these within the convention room began to maneuver underneath the desk.

But after assessing the scene, Desguin ordered somebody to name 911, tried CPR and retrieved an AED machine and “Ambu Bag,” a synthetic respiration unit.

Capitol police and EMS employees additionally tried the AED machine, however the gadget “never indicated that a shock was advised,” investigators stated. Antonacci was transported to an area hospital, the place he was pronounced lifeless by medical employees. An post-mortem was not carried out.

Investigators state clearly within the data that no foul play or suspicious circumstances seemed to be concerned.

What has Antonacci’s workplace been investigating?

The Bulldog stated it requested the data in February after receiving a tip that Antonacci had died following an argument with DeSantis, however the data include no point out of the governor.

NPR requested remark from the governor’s workplace however didn’t obtain a response by the point this text was revealed.

DeSantis established the Office of Election Crimes and Security with legislative approval in 2022, as former President Donald Trump continued to hawk claims of widespread election fraud.

The governor hand-picked Antonacci, a former election supervisor for Broward County, to go the hassle to root out election fraud, although such fraud is exceedingly uncommon within the state. DeSantis himself praised Florida’s election integrity in 2020.

So far, the workplace’s work seems to have centered on ex-felons who received voter registration cards after a state poll initiative handed.

Judges have largely dismissed makes an attempt to prosecute these voters, saying the state cannot punish individuals for election fraud after indicating they have been eligibil to vote.