TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — President Donald Trump's national address renewed the debate over election security this week, while newly released intelligence records put a spotlight on publicly available Florida voter-registration data.
The week also brought major courtroom developments for two state lawmakers, a new fundraising milestone in Florida's U.S. Senate race and another looming legal fight over the Republican primary for governor.
WATCH BELOW: Trump's election claims spark Florida voter data controversy
Declassified records reference Florida voter data
"Mail-in ballots are inherently corrupt," Trump said during his Thursday address, as he urged Congress to adopt tighter voting restrictions and repeated claims about the 2020 election that have not been substantiated.
Trump did not single out Florida, but records released by his White House did.
One declassified report says a Chinese cyber actor downloaded publicly available Florida voter-registration information from commercial websites in 2022. The same actor also obtained records from Colorado, Connecticut, Michigan, Oklahoma and Rhode Island.
Another intelligence record lists Florida among 18 states whose voter information was obtained for possible identity matching and public-opinion analysis.
The distinction is important: The records describe the collection of voter information, some of it publicly available, but do not say Florida ballots or vote totals were altered. The 2022 report also says the actor's motive was unknown.
The White House characterized the broader collection effort as a major compromise of American voter data. However, an earlier federal assessment of the 2022 elections found no evidence that detected foreign cyber activity prevented voting, changed votes or compromised the integrity of ballots.
Nixon gets September trial date
Back in Tallahassee, Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon learned she will stand trial the week of Sept. 21 on misdemeanor charges stemming from her May sit-in outside Gov. Ron DeSantis' Capitol office.
Nixon and other protesters occupied the area for several hours while objecting to Florida's newly approved congressional map, which could help Republicans add up to four seats in the U.S. House. Capitol Police arrested Nixon after she refused an order to leave.
Nixon calls the prosecution political and has incorporated the case into her campaign for U.S. Senate.
"If they think the threat of a trial is going to make me back down, they picked the wrong woman," Nixon said following Wednesday's hearing.
The trial is scheduled after Florida's Aug. 18 primary, in which Nixon is challenging retired Army Lt. Col. Alex Vindman for the Democratic Senate nomination.
Vindman expands fundraising advantage
Vindman tightened his grip on the Democratic money lead during the second quarter, raising $8.5 million and pushing his total receipts above $16 million.
"I think it's safe to say that Republicans woke up this morning with a bit of a panic," Vindman said. "There's no denying that the Florida Senate race is in play."
Republican Sen. Ashley Moody reported raising another $3.6 million. Her campaign also promoted polling showing her leading either Vindman or Nixon in a potential general-election matchup.
Moody was appointed to the Senate after Marco Rubio resigned to become secretary of state. The November special election will determine who serves the final two years of Rubio's term.
Jury orders Basabe to pay $450,000
Republican state Rep. Fabian Basabe ended the week facing a $450,000 civil judgment after a Leon County jury found him liable for sexual harassment, battery and defamation.
The case was brought by former legislative aide Nicolas Frevola, former intern Jacob Cutbirth and Frevola's mother.
Basabe represented himself despite having no legal training. The trial was repeatedly interrupted by procedural mistakes and violations of the judge's orders.
"If an attorney had done half of what you had done, they would have been sanctioned, sir," Circuit Judge J. Lee Marsh told him.
Basabe told jurors he represented himself because he wanted to demonstrate that he had nothing to hide. After the verdict, however, he acknowledged that proceeding without an attorney was a mistake.
Basabe continues to deny the underlying allegations. He has not been criminally charged, and an outside ethics investigation conducted for the Florida House previously reached an inconclusive finding.
His political opponents quickly called for his resignation. Basabe is seeking reelection this fall, and the verdict could also renew questions about whether House leaders will pursue disciplinary action.
Fishback's candidacy heads to court
Next week will bring another political court fight as Republican gubernatorial candidate James Fishback defends his eligibility to remain in the primary.
Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, one of Fishback's opponents, argues that records showing Fishback lived and voted in Washington, D.C., mean he does not satisfy Florida's seven-year residency requirement for governor.
Fishback says he was born and raised in Florida and maintained the state as his permanent home.
A two-day hearing is scheduled to begin Tuesday in Tallahassee. Because primary ballots have already been printed, the judge has said a ruling against Fishback could require election officials to post notices and decline to count votes cast for him.
