♪ THE RESULTS TOGETHER WITH VON ANCKEN. THIS IS NEWS 6 AT 5
GETTING RESULTS.
>> MATT: WELL, THIS
LEGISLATIVE SESSION, FLORIDA’S
LAWMAKERS INCREASE THE BUDGET
FOR GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS IS
ELECTION POLICE. THE STATE
SAYS THE OFFICE OF ELECTION
CRIMES AND SECURITY.
>> GINGER: WE’LL IMPROVE
ELECTION INTEGRITY, BUT THE
OFFICE HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF
VOTER INTIMIDATION AND HAS
BEEN HEAVILY SCRUTINIZED SINCE
IT ARRESTED 20 PEOPLE LAST
AUGUST INVESTIGATOR LOUIS
BOLDEN WAS THE FIRST REPORTER
ON THE ARREST OF PETER
WASHINGTON. LEWIS JOINS US NOW
LIVE IN STUDIO WITH THE
LATEST. LOUIS WILT UNDER
WASHINGTON’S CASE IS ONE OF 6
THAT HAVE BEEN DISMISSED BY
LOCAL JUDGES. BUT THE STATE IS
APPEALING.
>> HE SAYS THE ARRESTS FOR
ILLEGALLY VOTING TURNED HIS
LIFE UPSIDE DOWN. AND TONIGHT
FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE ARE
ALSO HEARING FROM WASHINGTON’S
WIFE.
>> I THINK I’M ONE OF HIS
BIGGEST FEARS IS PROBABLY NOT
NECESSARY REJECTION, BUT LIKE
MORE. SO PROBABLY
DISAPPOINTING ME. PETER
WASHINGTON SAYS HIS WIFE’S HAS
BEEN HIS I GET TO BE ON THIS
SHEEP IN THE GRAY SUPPORT IN
THIS SITUATION WHEN LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARRESTED
WASHINGTON AT HIS HOME LAST
AUGUST.
>> HE SAYS IT WAS THE PAIN IT
CAUSED HIS THAT HURT THE MOST.
FOR A TIME. I OVERSEEN IN A
HURRY TO ME. SO BAD. WHAT WAS
SO HURTFUL? ABOUT THIS?
>> IT WAS THE UNKNOWN LIKE WE
DIDN’T I HAD NEVER HEARD OF
ANYBODY BEING RECEIVED TOUGH
RIDE SINCE HIS ARREST FOR
VOTING ILLEGALLY IN THE 2020
ELECTION.
>> ORANGE COUNTY JUDGE
JENNIFER HARRIS DISMISSED THE
CHARGES AGAINST HIM, BUT THE
STATE IS NOW APPEALING AND THE
DAMAGE TO THEIR LIFE WAS
ALREADY DONE.
>> I LOST MY JOB. AFTER THE
ARREST AFTER THE WRIST.
>> WASHINGTON LOST HIS JOB
SUPERVISING IRRIGATION
PROJECTS AND HE HAD STARTED
HIS OWN BUSINESS DOING
LANDSCAPING AND IRRIGATION
WORK. BUT AFTER THE ARREST HIT
THE NEWS, HE SAYS CLIENTS
STARTED HAVING CONCERNS. AND
I’M LIKE.
>> I’VE BEEN ON THE PROPERTY
ALL THIS TIME. TALK TO THE
SAME PEOPLE AND TO THE SEE ME
ON TV.
>> THEY NEVER HAD A PROBLEM.
THE PROBLEM WAS WITH
WASHINGTON’S BACKGROUND 27
YEARS AGO, WASHINGTON PLED NO
CONTEST TO ATTEMPTED BATTERY
AND WAS GIVEN PROBATION, BUT
HE KEPT VIOLATING PROBATION BY
NOT REGISTERING HIS ADDRESS
PROPERLY, ACCORDING TO THE
PROBABLE CAUSE AFFIDAVIT IN
STATE RECORDS BECAUSE OF THE
VIOLATION. IN 2001, HE SERVED
NEARLY 10 YEARS IN PRISON.
SINCE THEN, HE SAYS HE WORKED
TO BE A MODEL CITIZEN BY
STARTING HIS BUSINESS, A
FAMILY AND BEING A DEACON IN
HIS CHURCH. BUT THE ARREST
LAST AUGUST BROUGHT IT ALL
BACK TO THE SURFACE. WHEN
PEOPLE SEE HIM, THEY JUST
ASSUME THAT HE’S PREDATOR OR
>> HE IS THAT LABEL IN THIS
NOW WHO USE WASHINGTON AND THE
19 OTHERS ARRESTED LAST AUGUST
HAD ALL BEEN CONVICTED OF
MURDER OR FELONY CRIME, WHICH
DISQUALIFY THEM TO VOTE. BUT
THEY THOUGHT THEIR RIGHTS HAVE
BEEN RESTORED BY AMENDMENT 4
AND THE STATE ALLOWED THEM ALL
TO REGISTER AND SENT THEM
VOTER INFORMATION CARDS IN THE
MAIL. WASHINGTON AND HIS WIFE
SAY THEY ARE STILL PICKING UP
THE PIECES AND REMAINING
PRAYERFUL. ALWAYS HIM THAT I
WANT HIM TO BE THE BEST
VERSION OF HIMSELF LIKE TO
REACH HIS FULL POTENTIAL AND
BE THE MAN THEY GOT CAUGHT HIM
TO BE ALL I’M ASKING FOR A
CHANCE TO LIVE. FOR US TO
LIVE.
>> BECAUSE IT FIG EVEN DO IF
IT NEEDED A PFIC TO LET US
>> NOW, WHAT YOU’VE JUST SEEN
IS ONLY PART OF MY MONTHS LONG
INVESTIGATION INTO THE
ARRESTS. PHOTOJOURNALIST CORIE
MURRAY AND I PRODUCED A NEW
THREE-PART SERIES CALLED I
VOTED AND GOT ARRESTED ABOUT
WASHINGTON’S CASE. IT IS NOW
ON YOUTUBE AND ON NEWS 6 PLUS,
WE USE A DIFFERENT
STORYTELLING STYLE THAN YOU
TYPICALLY SEE ON TV MAINLY SO
I CAN LAY OUT ALL WE’VE
LEARNED IN A SIMPLE AND
INFORMATIVE WAY AGAIN. YOU CAN
CATCH IT BY GOING TO THE WKMG
NEWS. 6 CLICKORLANDO YOU TO
PAGE. YEAH, BECAUSE THERE’S SO
MUCH THAT KEEPS REVEALING
ITSELF SO LOOSE. WHAT DO YOU
THINK THESE CASES GOTTEN SO
MUCH ATTENTION? I THINK FOR A
COUPLE OF REASONS. NUMBER ONE,
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK
IT’S ALL POLITICALLY
MOTIVATED.
>> I MEAN, PETER WASHINGTON
SAID HE BELIEVES HE IS THE
GOVERNOR’S POLITICAL ONE
ATTORNEY CALLED THE ARRESTS
POLITICAL THEATER AND IT’S WHY
SO MANY ATTORNEYS HAVE COME
FORWARD TO REPRESENT THE
DEFENDANTS PRO BONO, BECAUSE
THEY BELIEVE THEY SHOULD NOT
BE PROSECUTED. AND SO THIS IS
NOT GOING ANYWHERE. YOU’RE
GOING TO CONTINUE TO FOLLOW
23 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE STATE
OF FLORIDA AND 20 PEOPLE.