One of the most powerful men in America happens to be a resident of Sarasota County. We think. His name is Stephen K. Bannon, the scruffy-faced senior adviser to our new president. Maybe you’ve heard of him. But has anyone actually seen him? In particular, has anyone ever seen him at 3108 Casey Key Road, though probably not asking neighbor Stephen King to borrow a cup of sugar, considering King once wrote on Twitter: “My newest horror story. Once upon a time there was a man named Donald Trump and he ran for president.” Anyway, this is where Bannon lives, or is supposed to live, still, according to the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections office. It’s the address listed on his voter registration form, effective Aug. 25. There is only problem: Bannon is also registered to vote in New York City, listing a home address on West 40th Street, and according to a spokesman for the New York State Board of Elections, he voted there in November by absentee ballot. That means he voted in New York while still registered in Sarasota County, where he did not vote. His voting status in both places remains active, records show.
Now, no one is suggesting Bannon has knowingly broken the law or committed voter fraud. This whole thing is probably a misunderstanding, no harm intended, like ripping the tag off a mattress or taping a game without the express written consent of Major League Baseball. More than likely it was simply New York County not notifying Sarasota County about his address change.
Still, there’s a pattern here, a strange pattern, especially when you consider he was formerly the executive chairman of Breitbart News, a publication that warned of fraud by Democratic voters.
This all began in April 2014. That’s when Bannon, who lived in Laguna Beach, California, registered to vote in Dade County. He listed his address as a Coconut Grove home he did not own, but one he was renting for his ex-wife. On Aug. 25, 2016, when Bannon was CEO of the Trump campaign, the Guardian newspaper published a story claiming he had never lived at the residence and questioned whether he violated voter election laws. No laws were broken because Bannon never voted there. Still, the national media picked up on it.
Full Article: Column: Does Stephen Bannon live in Sarasota County? Because he’s registered to vote here.