Prosecutors refiled misdemeanor charges Nov. 2 in St. Johns County Court against five people accused of distributing an unauthorized Republican voter guide before the 2024 primary. A sixth person, Garrett Davis, is named only in the conspiracy count, News4Jax reported.

The five defendants named on both counts are St. Johns County Commissioners Sarah Arnold and Christian Whitehurst, former St. Augustine Beach Mayor Dylan Rumrell, political consultant Jamie Johnson and campaign manager Brianna Jordan. The refiled counts allege conspiracy and producing an unauthorized voter guide; both are misdemeanors, Action News Jax reported.

The charges return to county court after Circuit Judge William E. Davis dismissed the misdemeanor counts in October, ruling circuit court was not the proper venue. The judge also dismissed a felony evidence-tampering charge against Jordan with prejudice, meaning prosecutors cannot refile it. The order said the affidavit did not establish that evidence had been destroyed when many guides remained available, News4Jax reported.

The defendants have denied the allegations through attorneys or in earlier statements, News4Jax reported. The charges are accusations; they have not been proven in court.

What prosecutors allege

The state alleges the group conspired from Aug. 1 to Aug. 15, 2024, to circulate a guide that appeared to be an official publication of the St. Johns County Republican Executive Committee. Prosecutors allege it used the committee's name and logo without written authorization and lacked required disclosures.

The mailers were sent to Republican voters before the Aug. 20, 2024, primary. An affidavit from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) says the guides listed candidates who had not been endorsed by the committee, which had backed a different slate at a June 2024 meeting.

The FDLE affidavit describes an alleged "secret envelope stuffing" operation. Action News Jax reported investigators said the operation took place at a St. Augustine home; News4Jax described it as a rented campaign headquarters. Investigators allege three public officials helped prepare between 10,000 and 30,000 guides for mailing, Action News Jax reported. Jordan allegedly made purchases at printing companies and three large postage purchases totaling nearly $25,000.

About 135 households contacted the Republican committee after receiving the guides, according to the affidavit cited by News4Jax. Investigators said some envelopes were postmarked Aug. 5 through Aug. 15, 2024.

The refiled misdemeanor counts will proceed in St. Johns County Court. The cited reports did not identify a next court date.