President’s senior adviser is registered in both New York and Florida, as president falsely claims in tweet that such an arrangement amounts to fraud
A senior White House adviser to Donald Trump is registered to vote in two different states, a practice that the US president wrongly claimed amounted to electoral fraud on Wednesday as he called for an inquiry.
Stephen Bannon registered to vote in New York shortly before the presidential election last year, after the Guardian disclosed that he was registered to vote at a vacant house in Florida where his ex-wife had once lived.
Bannon, registered to vote at a rented apartment in New York, cast his ballot for Trump in that state, according to a source familiar with his arrangements, who was not authorized to speak to the media.
Bannon, however, also remains registered to vote in Florida, according to state records. His registration lists as his address the home of Andy Badolato, a friend of Bannon’s who has worked on some of his political documentary films and written for Breitbart News, the far-right website that Bannon controlled before entering the White House as chief strategist and senior counselor to the president.
His registration in Florida was moved to Badolato’s home shortly after the publication of the Guardian report in August. Bannon has not cast a ballot in Florida, according to state records. Badolato, who was also registered to vote at the home with his adult sons, declined at the time to answer questions on whether Bannon actually lived at the property, which is required under the registration rules of the Florida division of elections.
Trump’s statement followed the White House confirming on Tuesday that the president continues to believe the debunked conspiracy theory that millions of people vote illegally in US elections. Trump has repeatedly blamed this fiction for his loss of the national popular vote to Hillary Clinton, his Democratic opponent.
It is not in itself illegal to be registered to vote in two states. It would be illegal to cast ballots in two different states. Many states have their own laws about who qualifies to register to vote in their elections, typically based on whether a person actually lives in a residence there.
A spokeswoman for Bannon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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