COMMENTARY
MARK SCHUMANN
“Whatever other “contributions” Frost may make to the education of Indian River County’s school children, he has already offered a valuable civics lesson – ours is a nation of laws, not of men.”
Yesterday, Karen Disney-Brombach petitioned the circuit courts to rule on Shawn Frost’s qualifications to represent District 1 on the Indian River County School Board. Brombach contends Frost failed to meet the residency requirements and should be disqualified as a candidate.
For regular readers of InsideVero, news of Brombach’s lawsuit should come as no surprise. Nearly two weeks before voters went to the polls Aug. 26, we reported on Frost’s claim to have established legal residence in District 1 by moving into living space above the garage at his father’s house at 6700 77th Street. All the while, according to Frost, his wife and children continued to live in his homesteaded property at 1301 38th Avenue in District 3.
We then reported that several month earlier, when filing to run for the District 2 seat on the Indian River County Commission, Frost gave as his address 30 acres of pasture land on 65th Street.
After one of Frost’s neighbors came forward, we also reported that, according to the neighbor, the two vehicles driven by Frost and his wife could regularly be seen early in the morning and late at night parked in the driveway of their home on 38th Avenue. Further, the neighbor said, Frost was often seen walking the neighborhood late at night.
That Frost received much of his financial support from state and national school-choice groups gunning for Brombach is of no relevance in this case.
That Frost has made a great effort of late to appear to be living at his father’s house should not impress, or sway the court.
Whether Frost is honoring the spirit of the law also bears no weight in this case.
The only relevant legal question to be answered by Circuit Judge Cynthia Cox is whether Frost complied with the letter of a clear and unambiguous law requiring that he establish legal residency in District 1 on or before the date he qualified as a candidate.
There are those who argue that the voters have spoken. Frost’s election “victory,” they say, should be the final word, even if that “victory” means a defeat for the rule of law.
As Vero Beach city council candidate Charlie Wilson learned in 2009, Florida’s courts have demonstrated a willingness to invalidate the results of an election, when candidates such as Wilson, and possibly Frost, have failed to meet legal residency requirements – in other words, when voters have been the victims of fraud.
In 2009, Wilson failed to meet the residency requirement for city council candidates. City code requires that council candidates live in the city for at least one full year prior to the final day of the qualifying period. Wilson argued he met the requirement because he had lived in the city for more than a full year, but at a much earlier time. Observing that Wilson’s argument greatly strained the bounds of reason, Circuit Judge Paul Kanarek removed him from office.
Now comes Shawn Frost, who contends that by moving some of his clothes and his collection of CDs into his father’s house, and by changing the address on his driver’s license and his voter registration card, he established legal residency in District 1. Never mind that his wife, to whom he says he remains happily married, and their children, continue to live in Frost’s homesteaded property in District 3. Frost’s claim leaves a thinking public incredulous.
If and when the Press Journal and the island weekly finally report this story, many of the troubling facts will unfortunately be news to their readers. In advance of the Aug 26 election, both news organizations kept their readers in the dark, with the result that many voters who supported Frost did so without knowing his election would almost surely be challenged in the courts.
Undoubtedly, Frost’s neighbor is not the only person who will come forward with information about where he was living when he swore to be a resident of District 1. One important fact at a time, the truth will surely come to light.
How will Judge Cox rule? Only time will tell.
Whatever other “contributions” Frost may make to the education of Indian River County’s school children, he has already offered a valuable civics lesson – ours is a nation of laws, not of men.
Indian River Guardian 
Ours is indeed a nation of laws. Unfortunately there are some with blind amibition who seek elective office who do not think that the laws apply to them. It remains questionable as to whether or not this is arrogance or just plain stupidity.
The fact that there are mutiple voter fraud allegations that have been filed in this election season is clear evidence that the Florida legislature acted correctly in putting laws in place to protect us from others who have no respect for law.
In the edition of the Scripps publication today, there is an AP report of an arrest of a Republican who was charged with eight felonies. The report clearly identified that the penalty for providing false information on a Florida Voter Registration application is punishable by up to five years in prison.
The voters will be well served when more cases result in the kinds of penalties that the Florida legislature wisely put in place to protect the public. Perhaps seeing someone you actually know go to prison might put a stop to what now appears to be a growing trend.
It would also be useful if the Florida legislature would enact legislation that requires those who in engage in voter fraud are obligated to pay back the average citizen who donated to their campaign.
I see nothing for us to be gained by voting into office anyone who has such a disregard for the rules and regulations the rest of us are compelled to follow by reason of it being the right thing to do. Setting such poor examples opens the door to more such violations. Had voters known of these violations, I sincerely believe they would have chosen differently.