LeBron James and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has paid off the fines and fees of tens of thousands of felons in Florida to make them eligible to vote some of them in this election, according to an analysis by the Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald and ProPublica.
James, Bloomberg, and other celebrities have teamed up with the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition and collectively raised nearly $22 million to pay the fines of 32,000 felons in Florida before Election Day, making nearly 13,000 of them eligible for voting.
This was in response to Florida Governor DeSantis winning a court battle requiring felons to pay fines and court fees before they can vote.
At least 80 percent of felons whose fines and fees were paid are nonwhite, including 74 percent who are Black. About 68 percent are registered Democrats,” according to the report.
In July, James announced that his “More Than A Vote” initiative will donate $100,000 to the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition to help make felons eligible for voting.
Orlando attorney John Morgan tweeted that he will match James’ donation and urged former President Bill Clinton to follow their example.
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz (R) said in September that Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody should launch an investigation into possible “bribery and vote-buying” by Bloomberg in Florida.
“[Under Florida law] it’s a third-degree felony for someone to either directly or indirectly provide something of value to impact whether or not someone votes,” Gaetz said in an appearance on Fox News. “So the question is whether or not paying off someone’s fines and legal obligations counts as something of value, and it clearly does.”
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