Tallahassee - Wednesday July 6, 2022: Peter Antonacci has been appointed the Director of the Office of Election Crimes and Security, a newly created position within the Florida Department of State.
Governor DeSantis announced the appointment Wednesday saying - “Peter Antonacci has dedicated his career to serving the state of Florida. I am confident he will lead the Office of Election Crimes and Security with integrity and ensure that Florida’s elections are the most secure in the nation.”
The Office of Election Crimes and Security is charged with investigating all election crimes in Florida and overseeing the implementation of measures that will ensure Florida’s elections remain secure. The law authorizing its creation was passed by the Florida Legislature this year.
Critics have called the Office of Election Crimes and Security unnecessary. Democrat Nikki Fried, who is running for Governor, issued a statement Wednesday saying "We already have fraud laws on the books that should be enforced." She called Antonacci appointment "purely political."
Antonacci is a former Statewide Prosecutor, Deputy Attorney General, and he has had experience in election security when he served as the Broward County Supervisor of Elections.
Antonacci graduated from Florida State University School of Law and began his career as a trial prosecutor in the Second Judicial Court. He has also served as Deputy Attorney General of Florida under former Attorney General Bob Butterworth, CEO of Enterprise Florida, General Counsel to former Governor Rick Scott, Palm Beach County State Attorney, and Executive Director of the South Florida Water Management District.
In 2018 he was appointed Broward County Elections Supervisor and then went on to serve as Director and Chief Judge of the Division of Administrative Hearings. Brian Newman will now take over as acting Director of that position.