THE VILLAGES, Fla. — A 58-year-old Republican voter and activist has become the latest resident of The Villages to be charged with committing voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
Robert Rivernider self-identifies on his website as a GOP campaign consultant, speaker, debate moderator, and strategist who organizes events for Village Republicans and has worked for the Trump and Bush/Cheney presidential campaigns, Laura Loomer's congressional campaign, among others.
Rivernider was arrested in Sumter County on Friday, Sept. 29, and charged with a count each of voter fraud and forgery.
A complaint filed by the Florida Office of Election Crimes and Security, an institution established by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022, accused Rivernider of forging a vote-by-mail ballot in his late father's name.
According to Sumter County Elections Supervisor Bill Keen, the ballot was signed and dated three days before Rivernider's father died but postmarked three days after. Additionally, his father's signature appeared similar to the one on Rivernider's own ballot, even though it appeared different in previous years.
Rivernider, who served over 6 years in jail for a 2013 mortgage fraud conviction, is only the latest Villages resident charged with committing fraud in the 2020 presidential election. According to a January report from News 6 Orlando, four other residents admitted to casting multiple ballots in Florida and their respective home states.
Three of the other four residents were registered Republicans, the other was unaffiliated. All four were able to avoid jail time by entering a pre-trial intervention program where they had to complete a 12-week adult civics class.
