Attorney General James Uthmeier Announces 46 New Investigations, Subpoenas Smart & Safe Florida in Criminal Probe of Marijuana Petition Fraud

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Release Date
Jan 20, 2026
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(850) 245-0150

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General James Uthmeier today announced a major escalation in the Office of Statewide Prosecution’s ongoing election fraud investigation, including the opening of 46 new criminal investigations and the issuance of four criminal subpoenas seeking records from Smart & Safe Florida and its contractors and subcontractors. 

“Recently obtained documents show that Smart & Safe Florida knew about dozens of fraudsters turning in over 21,000 petitions and failed to inform law enforcement,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “Florida’s Constitution is not for sale, and we will not allow a mega marijuana corporation to hijack our state’s governing document.”

The Office of Statewide Prosecution (OSP) reviewed records showing that approximately 50 petition circulators associated with Smart & Safe Florida were registered and actively collecting petitions on behalf of the organization supporting 25-01, Adult Personal Use of Marijuana. Those circulators submitted more than 21,600 petitions; of those, over 14,500 raised significant concerns, including mismatched signatures or other indicia of fraud, and were as a result invalidated by election officials. However, more concerning, approximately 7,100 petitions submitted by these fraudsters were verified as valid by Florida Supervisors of Elections.

During the past several months, nine petition circulators have been arrested or had warrants issued, with at least six more actively pending. OSP anticipates additional arrests in the coming weeks as several investigations near completion.

The four criminal subpoenas being issued will require Smart & Safe Florida, their contractors, and their subcontractors, to produce documents relating to the alleged fraud to determine whether criminal liability extends beyond individual circulators and into broader organizational conduct.

Statewide Prosecutor Brad McVay sent a formal letter to the Special Agent in Charge at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement outlining the scope of the investigation and the required records. That letter is attached here.
 

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