NAPLES, Fla. — The Collier County Republican Executive Committee is warning about political disinformation spreading just days before the primaries. John Meo, the committee chairman, says some candidates and groups are confusing voters by falsely claiming they have the committee's endorsement.
"Over the last month and a half, I've dealt with phone call after phone call from voters that are absolutely confused," Meo said. He explained that some people are using the GOP logo and name without permission, which goes against party rules.
On Friday, Meo discussed these concerns at a polling place, where one of the candidates, Tim Guerrette, was present. Guerrette, who is running for Supervisor of Elections, sent an email with a cropped image seemingly showing he had the committee's endorsement.
"I didn't even notice it was on there. Definitely not intentional," Guerrette said, blaming the issue on a poor cropping job. He insisted he wasn’t trying to mislead voters, adding, "I'm definitely not trying to look for any endorsement. I'm a strong Republican."
Meo wasn’t convinced and shared other examples of what he believed were misleading actions by different people and groups. The committee says it has filed complaints with the Republican Party of Florida. "Hopefully at our next quarterly meeting we can address this," Meo said.
Melissa Blazier, the current Supervisor of Elections and Guerrette’s opponent, confirmed that none of these actions were illegal but offered advice to voters. "Really the only thing I can say to voters is please do your own homework before you go to a polling location," Blazier said.
The Collier County GOP says its officially endorsed candidates can be found on their website.
The primary elections will be held on Tuesday, August 20th.
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