Laurel Lee: Difference between revisions
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In 2007, Lee became an [[assistant U.S. attorney]] for the [[United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida|Middle District of Florida]], serving until she was appointed as a judge on the [[Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida|Hillsborough County Circuit Court]] by then-Governor [[Rick Scott]] in 2013.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=Tampa Bay Times |title=Two UF grads appointed to Hillsborough judgeships |date=May 7, 2013 |accessdate=February 4, 2019 |url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/two-uf-grads-appointed-to-hillsborough-judgeships/2119520}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Saint Peter Blog|url=http://www.saintpetersblog.com/archives/96770|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140818124818/http://www.saintpetersblog.com/archives/96770|archive-date=18 August 2014|access-date=7 March 2023}}</ref> She was unopposed for election to a full six-year term in 2014.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=Tallahassee Democrat |title=Gov. Ron DeSantis names Tampa judge Laurel M. Lee Florida Secretary of State |date=January 28, 2019 |accessdate=February 3, 2019 |url=https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2019/01/28/gov-ron-desantis-names-judge-laurel-m-lee-florida-secretary-state/2703250002/|website=Tallahassee Democrat}}</ref> |
In 2007, Lee became an [[assistant U.S. attorney]] for the [[United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida|Middle District of Florida]], serving until she was appointed as a judge on the [[Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida|Hillsborough County Circuit Court]] by then-Governor [[Rick Scott]] in 2013.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=Tampa Bay Times |title=Two UF grads appointed to Hillsborough judgeships |date=May 7, 2013 |accessdate=February 4, 2019 |url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/two-uf-grads-appointed-to-hillsborough-judgeships/2119520}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Saint Peter Blog|url=http://www.saintpetersblog.com/archives/96770|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140818124818/http://www.saintpetersblog.com/archives/96770|archive-date=18 August 2014|access-date=7 March 2023}}</ref> She was unopposed for election to a full six-year term in 2014.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=Tallahassee Democrat |title=Gov. Ron DeSantis names Tampa judge Laurel M. Lee Florida Secretary of State |date=January 28, 2019 |accessdate=February 3, 2019 |url=https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2019/01/28/gov-ron-desantis-names-judge-laurel-m-lee-florida-secretary-state/2703250002/|website=Tallahassee Democrat}}</ref> |
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==Florida |
==Florida secretary of state (2019–2022)== |
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Lee was appointed [[Florida Secretary of State]] by [[List of Governors of Florida|Governor]] [[Ron DeSantis]] on January 28, 2019, replacing [[Mike Ertel]], who resigned after less than a month in office when a 2005 photo of him wearing [[blackface]] as part of a Halloween costume as a [[Hurricane Katrina]] victim surfaced.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://patch.com/florida/bradenton/tampa-judge-replaces-official-who-resigned-over-blackface-photos|title=Tampa Judge Replaces Official Who Resigned Over Blackface Photos|date=January 28, 2019|website=Seminole Heights, FL Patch}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fljud13.org/JudicialDirectory/LaurelMLee/Profile.aspx|title=Laurel Moore Lee|website=www.fljud13.org}}</ref> |
Lee was appointed [[Florida Secretary of State|Florida secretary of state]] by [[List of Governors of Florida|Governor]] [[Ron DeSantis]] on January 28, 2019, replacing [[Mike Ertel]], who resigned after less than a month in office when a 2005 photo of him wearing [[blackface]] as part of a Halloween costume as a [[Hurricane Katrina]] victim surfaced.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://patch.com/florida/bradenton/tampa-judge-replaces-official-who-resigned-over-blackface-photos|title=Tampa Judge Replaces Official Who Resigned Over Blackface Photos|date=January 28, 2019|website=Seminole Heights, FL Patch}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fljud13.org/JudicialDirectory/LaurelMLee/Profile.aspx|title=Laurel Moore Lee|website=www.fljud13.org}}</ref> |
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In October 2020, weeks before the 2020 election, Lee sought to purge felons from voter rolls if they had outstanding court debts. ''Politico'' called the move "a surprise, late-hour move that comes after more than 2 million people already have voted in the presidential battleground." Lee's decision was not distributed to the wider public, only to local election officials.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Fineout|first=Gary|title=Florida acts to remove felons from voter rolls as election looms|url=https://politi.co/344aVkG|access-date=October 19, 2020|website=Politico PRO|date=October 15, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> |
In October 2020, weeks before the 2020 election, Lee sought to purge felons from voter rolls if they had outstanding court debts. ''Politico'' called the move "a surprise, late-hour move that comes after more than 2 million people already have voted in the presidential battleground." Lee's decision was not distributed to the wider public, only to local election officials.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Fineout|first=Gary|title=Florida acts to remove felons from voter rolls as election looms|url=https://politi.co/344aVkG|access-date=October 19, 2020|website=Politico PRO|date=October 15, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> |
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In December 2021, Lee made a criminal referral to [[Florida Attorney General]] [[Ashley Moody]] seeking an investigation into potentially fraudulent signatures collected by [[Las Vegas Sands]] in a petition drive to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot for the November 2022 elections that would expand casino gambling.<ref>{{cite web |author1=LAWRENCE MOWER |author2=MARY ELLEN KLAS |title=FL elections officials suspect fraud in signature gathering {{!}} Miami Herald |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article257481524.html |website=www.miamiherald.com |access-date=January 22, 2022 |date=January 20, 2022}}</ref> |
In December 2021, Lee made a criminal referral to [[Florida Attorney General|Florida attorney general]] [[Ashley Moody]] seeking an investigation into potentially fraudulent signatures collected by [[Las Vegas Sands]] in a petition drive to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot for the November 2022 elections that would expand casino gambling.<ref>{{cite web |author1=LAWRENCE MOWER |author2=MARY ELLEN KLAS |title=FL elections officials suspect fraud in signature gathering {{!}} Miami Herald |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article257481524.html |website=www.miamiherald.com |access-date=January 22, 2022 |date=January 20, 2022}}</ref> |
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On May 12, 2022, Lee announced she was resigning effective four days later, seven months before the 2022 election. She did not offer a reason for resigning.<ref>{{cite news |title=Florida's secretary of state to resign ahead of upcoming elections |url=https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/05/12/floridas-secretary-of-state-to-resign-ahead-of-upcoming-elections/ |publisher=[[WKMG-TV]] |date=May 12, 2022}}</ref> On May 17, she announced her candidacy for the [[United States House of Representatives]] in {{ushr|FL|15}} in the [[2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida|2022 elections]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theledger.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/05/17/former-florida-secretary-state-laurel-lee-enters-gop-race-u-s-house-15/9806875002/ | title=Former Fla. Secretary of State Lee joins crowded GOP field in U.S. House-15 race }}</ref> She won the general election by a wide margin. |
On May 12, 2022, Lee announced she was resigning effective four days later, seven months before the 2022 election. She did not offer a reason for resigning.<ref>{{cite news |title=Florida's secretary of state to resign ahead of upcoming elections |url=https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/05/12/floridas-secretary-of-state-to-resign-ahead-of-upcoming-elections/ |publisher=[[WKMG-TV]] |date=May 12, 2022}}</ref> On May 17, she announced her candidacy for the [[United States House of Representatives]] in {{ushr|FL|15}} in the [[2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida|2022 elections]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theledger.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/05/17/former-florida-secretary-state-laurel-lee-enters-gop-race-u-s-house-15/9806875002/ | title=Former Fla. Secretary of State Lee joins crowded GOP field in U.S. House-15 race }}</ref> She won the general election by a wide margin. |
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Latest revision as of 21:44, 20 March 2025
Laurel Lee | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 15th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | District established (redistricting) |
| 30th Secretary of State of Florida | |
| In office January 28, 2019 – May 16, 2022 | |
| Governor | Ron DeSantis |
| Preceded by | Mike Ertel |
| Succeeded by | Cord Byrd |
| Judge of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida | |
| In office May 5, 2013 – January 28, 2019 | |
| Appointed by | Rick Scott |
| Preceded by | Daniel Sleet |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Palermo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Laurel Frances Moore March 26, 1974 Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Tom Lee |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Florida (BA, JD) |
| Website | House website |
Laurel Frances Lee (née Moore; born March 26, 1974) is an American attorney, politician, and former jurist serving as the U.S. representatives for Florida's 15th congressional district since 2023. A member of the Republican Party, she previously served as the 30th secretary of state of Florida from 2019 to 2022, as a judge on Florida's Thirteenth Judicial Circuit from 2013 to 2019, and as a federal prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Middle District of Florida before entering electoral politics.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Lee was born on March 26, 1974, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. She graduated with her bachelor's degree from the University of Florida and earned her Juris Doctor from the Levin College of Law.[2][3]
Legal career
[edit]Lee began her legal career as an attorney for the Carlton Fields law firm in 2003 before serving as an assistant public defender from 2005 to 2007.[4]
In 2007, Lee became an assistant U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Florida, serving until she was appointed as a judge on the Hillsborough County Circuit Court by then-Governor Rick Scott in 2013.[5][6] She was unopposed for election to a full six-year term in 2014.[7]
Florida secretary of state (2019–2022)
[edit]Lee was appointed Florida secretary of state by Governor Ron DeSantis on January 28, 2019, replacing Mike Ertel, who resigned after less than a month in office when a 2005 photo of him wearing blackface as part of a Halloween costume as a Hurricane Katrina victim surfaced.[8][9]
In October 2020, weeks before the 2020 election, Lee sought to purge felons from voter rolls if they had outstanding court debts. Politico called the move "a surprise, late-hour move that comes after more than 2 million people already have voted in the presidential battleground." Lee's decision was not distributed to the wider public, only to local election officials.[10]
In December 2021, Lee made a criminal referral to Florida attorney general Ashley Moody seeking an investigation into potentially fraudulent signatures collected by Las Vegas Sands in a petition drive to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot for the November 2022 elections that would expand casino gambling.[11]
On May 12, 2022, Lee announced she was resigning effective four days later, seven months before the 2022 election. She did not offer a reason for resigning.[12] On May 17, she announced her candidacy for the United States House of Representatives in Florida's 15th congressional district in the 2022 elections.[13] She won the general election by a wide margin.
U.S. House of Representatives (2023–present)
[edit]
Tenure
[edit]On July 29, 2024, Lee was announced as one of seven Republican members of a bipartisan task force investigating the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.[14]
Committee assignments
[edit]For the 118th Congress:[15]
- Committee on Homeland Security
- Committee on House Administration
- Subcommittee on Elections (Chair)
- Committee on the Judiciary
Caucus memberships
[edit]Personal life
[edit]Lee is married to Tom Lee, a former member of the Florida Senate. They have three children. They live in Brandon, Florida.[17] Lee is Protestant.[18]
References
[edit]- ^ "Governor Ron DeSantis Appoints Judge Laurel M. Lee as Florida Secretary of State". Office of the Governor of Florida. January 28, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ "Florida New Members 2023". November 17, 2022. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
- ^ "Laurel Moore - Attorney in Tampa, FL". www.attorneys.org.
- ^ "Governor Ron DeSantis Appoints Judge Laurel M. Lee As Florida Secretary Of State". CBS Miami. January 28, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ "Two UF grads appointed to Hillsborough judgeships". Tampa Bay Times. May 7, 2013. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ "Saint Peter Blog". Archived from the original on August 18, 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- ^ "Gov. Ron DeSantis names Tampa judge Laurel M. Lee Florida Secretary of State". Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee Democrat. January 28, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ "Tampa Judge Replaces Official Who Resigned Over Blackface Photos". Seminole Heights, FL Patch. January 28, 2019.
- ^ "Laurel Moore Lee". www.fljud13.org.
- ^ Fineout, Gary (October 15, 2020). "Florida acts to remove felons from voter rolls as election looms". Politico PRO. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
- ^ LAWRENCE MOWER; MARY ELLEN KLAS (January 20, 2022). "FL elections officials suspect fraud in signature gathering | Miami Herald". www.miamiherald.com. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
- ^ "Florida's secretary of state to resign ahead of upcoming elections". WKMG-TV. May 12, 2022.
- ^ "Former Fla. Secretary of State Lee joins crowded GOP field in U.S. House-15 race".
- ^ "House leaders announce members of bipartisan task force investigating Trump assassination attempt". CBS News. July 29, 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
- ^ "Laurel M. Lee". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
- ^ "The Republican Governance Group / Tuesday Group PAC (RG2 PAC)". Republican Governance. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
- ^ "Rep. Laurel Lee - R Florida, 15th, In Office - Biography | LegiStorm". www.legistorm.com. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
- ^ "Religious affiliation of members of 118th Congress" (PDF). Pew Research Center. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 16, 2023.
External links
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Laurel M. Lee.
- Congresswoman Laurel Lee official U.S. House website
- Campaign website
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Appearances on C-SPAN
| Territory (1822–45) |  | |
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| State (since 1845) |
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Categories:
- Living people
- 21st-century American judges
- 21st-century American lawyers
- 21st-century American women judges
- 21st-century American women lawyers
- 21st-century American women politicians
- Assistant United States Attorneys
- Circuit court judges in the United States
- Female members of the United States House of Representatives
- Florida state court judges
- Fredric G. Levin College of Law alumni
- Protestants from Florida
- Public defenders
- Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Florida
- Secretaries of state of Florida
- University of Florida alumni
- Women in Florida politics
- 1974 births
- 21st-century members of the United States House of Representatives