Tallahassee, FL — The Ticktin Law Group, representing U.S. Navy veteran and former Congressional candidate Robert “Rocky” Rochford, has filed a complaint in the Second Judicial Circuit (Case Number: 2024 CA 001976) against Congresswoman Kathy Castor and local election officials, alleging significant election fraud in the U.S. Congressional District 14 race.
Attorney Peter Ticktin, known for his thorough investigations and commitment to electoral integrity, has presented compelling evidence that vote-by-mail safeguards were circumvented, leading to unreliable election results.
This development builds upon earlier reports by The People’s Olive Branch and corroborating data revealed by Morningstar News, which exposed systemic anomalies in the vote-by-mail process, particularly regarding “No-No absentee ballots” — ballots issued without proper voter identification.
Ticktin’s Allegations of Fraudulent Activity
According to Ticktin, election officials processed over an implausible 196,000 illegal No-No absentee ballot requests on a single day, September 9, 2024. Of these, over 37,700 illegal No-No absentee ballots originated from Congressional District 14 in Pinellas County, which lacked the legally mandated identifiers — either a driver’s license number or the last four digits of the voter’s Social Security number — yet were illegally issued and illegally cast on the November 2024 election. These numbers are based on raw text data obtained by John Siamas, a former DAWIA Level II Certified Auditor with the Department of Defense, processed through Power BI, and shown to The People’s Olive Branch for visual observation.
“While one would expect hundreds or even a few thousand requests on any given day, the sheer volume processed on September 9 defies logic and statistical norms,” Ticktin stated in comments published by Morningstar News. “Our filing demonstrates that the safeguards established to protect the integrity of vote-by-mail ballots were overridden, allowing fraudulent ballots to infiltrate the election.”
Rochford’s legal team is calling for the court to nullify the certification of the election results and mandate a new election. The complaint also demands an independent investigation into the administration of vote-by-mail ballots in Congressional District 14, which encompasses Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
Citing Previous Reports on Election Anomalies
The findings of Ticktin’s investigation align with a detailed report published by The People’s Olive Branch shortly after the election. This earlier report uncovered a staggering 35,773 absentee ballots improperly requested in Pinellas County’s Congressional District 14 on the same suspicious date, September 9, 2024. These “No-No absentee ballots,” as coined by investigative teams, lacked proper voter identification, violating Florida Statute §101.62.
The report also highlighted that Pinellas County accounted for over 99% of the 196,186 vote-by-mail ballot requests statewide on that single day, suggesting a highly localized effort to exploit systemic vulnerabilities. Hillsborough County, by contrast, reported no such anomalies for Congressional District 14 on the same date, further emphasizing the irregularity of the Pinellas data.
“The People’s Olive Branch initially revealed these shocking irregularities, and now we see legal action validating those findings,” said a spokesperson for the publication. “This case is critical to restoring trust in the democratic process.”
Statutory Violations and Official Misconduct
The complaint filed by Ticktin’s firm alleged how the issuance of these ballots violated Florida law. Under SB 90, enacted in 2021, all vote-by-mail requests must be authenticated with a Florida driver’s license number, a Florida state ID card number, or the last four digits of the voter’s Social Security number. Supervisors of Elections Julie Marcus (Pinellas County) and Craig Latimer (Hillsborough County) are named defendants for allegedly bypassing these requirements, constituting official misconduct.
Ticktin also cited Florida Chief Election Officer Cord Byrd as a defendant, arguing that the breakdown in internal controls compromised the reliability of election outcomes. “Such a breakdown of internal controls invites and encourages fraud, misconduct, and corruption,” he stated.
A Statewide and National Concern
Ticktin warned that this issue is not isolated to Congressional District 14 but could reflect a broader trend. “The same cheating that occurred here was likely replicated across Florida and the nation,” Ticktin said. “The only reason Donald Trump won in 2024 was that his margin was ‘too big to rig.’ Meanwhile, countless candidates — from Senate to House races — may have been denied rightful victories.”
Implications for Election Integrity
As legal proceedings unfold, the revelations from The People’s Olive Branch, amplified by Ticktin’s investigation and Morningstar News coverage, underscore the urgent need for electoral reform. The volume of “No-No absentee ballots” processed and counted, combined with the apparent circumvention of statutory protections, raises serious questions about the reliability of Florida’s vote-by-mail system.
“This is a moment of reckoning for election officials and lawmakers alike,” Ticktin emphasized. “We must ensure that the mechanisms designed to protect the integrity of our elections are not just implemented but enforced.”
The Ticktin Law Group is actively pursuing discovery to further investigate the legitimacy of the 198,166 vote-by-mail requests processed on September 9, 2024. Ticktin stated that his team is working to determine how many of these ballots were submitted by deceased, relocated, or otherwise ineligible voters.
Meanwhile, The People’s Olive Branch and Morningstar News will continue to monitor developments in the case and publish updates as new information becomes available. The legal outcome could have far-reaching implications not only for Congressional District 14 but for the integrity of elections nationwide.
For press inquiries or to report additional evidence of election fraud, contact The Ticktin Law Group or The People’s Olive Branch.
Updated 12/9/2024 2:29pm
