Last Updated on September 23, 2020
Former Democrat Presidential Candidate and billionaire Michael Bloomberg spearheaded an event that raised $20 million dollars to help pay off fines for ex-felons in an effort to restore their voting privileges prior to the November General Election. The influx of presumably Democrat voters would serve to help Democrat Presidential Nominee Joe Biden in a crucial swing state.
Bloomberg was joined by singer John Legend and controversial NBA star LeBron James in helping the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition raise funds to satisfy one of several requirements mandated by recent Florida legislation that would restore voting rights to those who have been convicted of a felony and who have served their prison sentences and satisfied their paroles.
The event surpassed the $20 million donation mark and saw over 44,000 people take part, the coalition announced Tuesday.
“The right to vote is fundamental to our democracy and no American should be denied that right,” Bloomberg said in a statement, mischaracterizing the United States as a democracy instead of a Republic. “Working together with the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, we are determined to end disenfranchisement and the discrimination that has always driven it.”
Contrary to Bloomberg’s claim of disenfranchisement, Florida recently passed Amendment 4 to its state constitution making ex-felons eligible to vote if they achieve certain criteria. In order for voting rights to be restored, someone convicted of a felony must complete all terms of the sentence, including parole or probation, and pay off all fines and fees levied. Those convicted of murder of a felony sexual offense are not eligible.
According to the Coalition, over 700,000 ex-felons in Florida are affected by Amendment 4.
Bloomberg, a resident of the State of New York, vowed to spend $100 million in the State of Florida to help defeat President Trump’s re-election bid in that crucial swing state.
The consensus among non-felon Floridians about Bloomberg, Legend, and James inserting themselves into Florida’s General Election is one of consternation, with some Florida residents referring to them as “carpetbaggers.”
