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Florida District 24 candidate Shevrin Jones targeted in false campaign text, causing widespread condemnation
Equality Florida called the text a homophobic smear and said it will pursue accountability after the false claim spread to voters ahead of the primary.
- On Tuesday, August 11, voters in Florida's 24th congressional district received a fraudulent text message falsely claiming State Senator Shevrin Jones is HIV positive, what officials called a "cowardly, dishonest" and "homophobic" attack.
- The message manipulated a 2020 news story about Jones being turned away from donating plasma under outdated FDA policies restricting gay men, falsely reframing his rejection as HIV-related.
- Equality Florida, the LGBTQ advocacy group falsely cited as the sender, condemned the smear as "a gross violation of federal election law" and said it would "pursue all avenues necessary to hold the perpetrators accountable."
- Miami-Dade Commissioner Oliver Gilbert and Kendrick Meek Jr., both Jones rivals, denounced the text as a "fraudulent, homophobic smear," while Jones said he will not be distracted by "false, fraudulent attacks meant to deceive and confuse voters."
- The primary election approaches on Tuesday, August 18, exposing intense political friction within the race for the 24th congressional district seat less than one week away.
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Anti-Gay Texts Attack Gay Florida US House Candidate, Falsely Claim He Has HIV, Was Rejected By Blood Drive
Florida Politics reports: Less than two hours after flagging a homophobic text targeting Sen. Shevrin Jones in Florida’s 24th Congressional District, Florida Politics received a screengrab of a re…
LGBTQ NationReposted by 
Queerty
QueertyGay candidate smeared in text message campaign that says he has HIV
The Democratic primary for a seat in Congress representing parts of the Miami area got ugly on Tuesday when voters received a campaign text message smearing the leading candidate with an accusation that he is HIV positive. Shevrin Jones, Florida’s first out Black state senator, is running to replace retiring Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL). Should Jones win the primary in the deep blue district, he’s all but assured of becoming Florida’s first gay …
·San Francisco, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources9
Leaning Left5Leaning Right0Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution63% Left
Bias Distribution
- 63% of the sources lean Left
63% Left
L 63%
C 37%
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