Desmond Meade

The federal lawsuit says state leaders have failed to carry out a constitutional amendment designed to restore voting rights to felons who complete their sentences.

The group is running a high-profile fundraising effort to pay fines and fees for felons, so they can again vote in elections.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has not launched a formal investigation into Mike Bloomberg’s effort to pay fines and fees for Florida felons, the agency told WFSU Monday.

Attorney General Ashley Moody wants the FBI and Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate whether Michael Bloomberg violated any election laws. It’s in response to the former New York Mayor raising $16 million to help pay for felons fines and fees.

Desmond Meade graduated from law school, made it onto Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people and was at the forefront of a successful crusade to restore voting rights to convicted felons in Florida.But the former drug dealer who was tossed out of the Army three decades ago hasn’t redeemed himself enough to be pardoned for his crimes by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis.

Attorneys representing Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration turned to a man who garnered international acclaim for his advocacy of a 2018 constitutional amendment designed to restore felons’ voting rights. Lawyers for DeSantis played a video deposition of Desmond Meade, who said he stands behind the disputed law, which the Republican-controlled Legislature passed last year to carry out the constitutional amendment.

The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition is pushing the state clemency board to ease its rules and clear the way for more felons to regain their rights.…