The statement follows a documented incident in which Rochford’s Campaign Director was told to persuade his father, a veteran journalist and member of the campaign team, to stop sharing and speaking publicly about voter registration records obtained from an official government database.

“Candidates for Congress should welcome scrutiny, not try to silence it,” Rochford said. “When a journalist publishes public records from an official government database, and the response is a demand letter threatening litigation, that tells voters something important about how that candidate would handle the responsibilities of public office.”

On July 3, journalist and commentator Laura Loomer published an article reporting that New York City Board of Elections records show an FL-14 Republican primary candidate has maintained an active voter registration in Brooklyn since 2002 and that records indicate a vote was cast under that registration in the November 2025 NYC mayoral election.

Following the publication, Loomer received a demand letter threatening defamation litigation. Her attorney, R. Alex Andrade of Moore, Hill and Westmoreland, P.A., responded on July 9 with a six-page letter confirming that he independently verified the active voter registration using the NYC Board of Elections website. The attorney noted that he could not independently confirm the same candidate’s voter registration in Florida, as a search of the statewide database returned no record found.

Andrade’s response cited truth as an absolute defense to defamation, referenced the actual malice standard required for public figures, and warned that pursuing litigation would expose the claimant to financial liability under Florida’s anti-SLAPP statute, Section 768.295.

The litigation threats did not stop with Loomer. At a recent public event, an FL-14 candidate approached Rochford’s Campaign Director, Jaime Arellano Jr., and told him to instruct his father, Jaime Arellano Sr., to stop sharing and speaking publicly about Loomer’s reporting. Arellano Sr. had been discussing the voter registration findings both on social media and during public speaking engagements. The candidate stated that he was suing another Republican primary opponent and anyone else who continues to share the information. When Arellano responded that he does not control what his father says, the candidate told him, “As his son, maybe you need to tell him not to get sued.”

Rochford said his decision to speak publicly was driven by principle, not politics.

“I watched the weaponization of the American legal system used against President Trump for years. I will not stand by while the same tactics are used against the people I intend to represent in Congress. Jaime Arellano and his family are part of this campaign and part of this community. When a candidate for federal office uses the threat of litigation to silence private citizens for sharing public records, that is not a political dispute. That is an abuse of the legal system. And if I won’t stand up for the people on my own team, how can voters trust me to stand up for them?”

Rochford noted the significance of who was being targeted.

Jaime Arellano Sr. is a Nicaraguan journalist and recipient of the 2024 Eleanor Roosevelt Medal of Merit. For more than 30 years, he was one of Nicaragua’s most recognized political commentators, reaching over 1.2 million television viewers. His journalism made him a target of the Ortega regime. Between 2006 and 2018, there were four assassination attempts against him. He was arrested multiple times. In 2019, after the Trump administration pressured Nicaragua to grant amnesty to political opposition figures, he became the first to return from exile. One day later, he survived another assassination attempt.

In 2021, he was arrested again and suffered a heart attack during detention. In February 2023, the United States negotiated the release of 222 political prisoners, including Arellano. Upon his release, the Ortega regime stripped him of his Nicaraguan citizenship and confiscated his businesses, properties, and bank accounts. On July 20, the Ortega regime declared that Nicaragua will never hold elections again, effectively abolishing democracy in the country Arellano spent his life trying to protect. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the decision a confirmation of the regime’s true authoritarian nature.

“A man who survived four assassination attempts and political imprisonment for the crime of speaking the truth was indirectly threatened with an American lawsuit for sharing a public record and speaking about it publicly,” Rochford said. “A congressional candidate pressured a son to silence his own father. That is not how candidates for Congress should conduct themselves. Using the legal system to intimidate private citizens into silence is the tool of the regimes Jaime Arellano spent his life fighting against.”

Rochford said the broader issue is one of standards for candidates seeking to represent FL-14 in Washington.

“Members of Congress face scrutiny every day from journalists, constituents, oversight committees, and political opponents. Any candidate who cannot handle a journalist reporting public records without reaching for a lawsuit is not prepared for that responsibility.”

Rochford also noted that candidates running on election integrity platforms should hold themselves to the same standard they demand of voters.

“If you are going to champion the SAVE America Act and demand that every voter prove citizenship at the ballot box, your own voter registration practices need to be beyond reproach. That is not a partisan position. That is a baseline expectation for anyone seeking federal office.”

Rochford contrasted the approach with his own record of accountability during 33 years of military service.

“I have been questioned, investigated, and scrutinized at every level of command. That is what accountability looks like, and a man of integrity stands on it. I have never once threatened to sue someone for doing their job or exercising their constitutional rights. Leaders do not silence questions. Leaders answer them.”

Rochford also completed the Congressional Operations Seminar at Georgetown University’s Government Affairs Institute and earned a master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College, where he was named an Arleigh Burke Fellow and a Vice Admiral Samuel L. Gravely scholar.

Kevin Steele, who Sunshine Newswire exposed does not live in the district, was not present at the debate. No explanation was offered at the event for his absence.

Former Naval Commodore Robert “Rocky” Rochford was in attendance as well as Bea Valenti and Mike Beltran. The forum generated attention not only for who was missing, but for several exchanges that drew visible reactions from the audience.

Beltran on Israel and Iran

When the discussion turned to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, Beltran was asked about the appropriate role of the United States.

His response, delivered to the room:

“we should stay out of it, if they want to go ahead and kill each other that’s fine, it’s fun.”

The comment prompted audible reactions from several people in attendance. Beltran did not walk it back or elaborate further on the point during that exchange.

The Israel-Iran conflict has been a recurring topic in Republican primary politics nationally, with candidates typically staking out positions on American support for Israel, the risk of regional escalation, and the posture of U.S. forces currently stationed in the Middle East.

Beltran on the Epstein Files

The forum also touched on the Epstein files — a topic that has surfaced repeatedly in conservative political circles since the Justice Department made a number of documents public earlier this year. Congressional oversight of executive branch document releases has been a stated priority for House Republicans in recent cycles. Beltran’s answer indicated he does not view the Epstein matter as a productive use of that oversight authority.

When asked whether he would engage with the files or push for further disclosure as a member of Congress, Beltran responded:

“I have no interest in reading or doing anything with the files — I think it’s nothing.”

The comment provoked a response from an incensed Commander Rochford who stood up and responded to Beltran’s dismissal of the child trafficker.

“I have an interest in them,” Rochford said, adding “it involved kids - children - and we need to get to the bottom of who’s on it.”

Beltran’s Broader Posture on Congressional Action

Beyond those specific exchanges, attendees noted a recurring theme in Beltran’s answers across multiple policy areas: a skepticism of federal intervention that, at several points, left voters questioning what, specifically, he intended to do if elected.

On affordability, housing, and veterans services, Beltran’s answers generally pointed away from federal solutions. Some in the room found that posture principled. Others left with questions about what his legislative priorities would look like in practice.

Late in the evening, while closing a response in a debate for a United States congressional seat, Beltran referenced returning to Tallahassee — the Florida state capital. He did not correct himself.

Valenti’s Performance

Bea Valenti was present throughout and engaged on each topic raised. Several attendees noted the contrast in demeanor between the two candidates — particularly during exchanges where Valenti directed her questions at Beltran directly. His responses in those moments struck some in the audience as impatient.

Valenti’s specific policy positions drew less public discussion after the event than Beltran’s comments, though she is expected to be an active presence as the primary continues.

What Comes Next

The primary for Florida’s 14th Congressional District remains ongoing. Tuesday’s forum was one of the first opportunities for Republican voters to see the candidates side by side, and it drew an engaged audience.

The absence of a full field — and the moments that did occur — are likely to be a point of discussion as the race moves forward.

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The program, housed at the Brooksville-Tampa regional airport, will train aircraft mechanics side by side with the college’s aviation students.

Where the Money Goes

The $3 million will fund the renovation and build-out of classrooms and labs at the airport site, purchase the tools and instructional technology needed for hands-on training, and relocate the school’s original pilot program to the regional airport campus, according to FOX 13.

School officials said the investment expands the college’s capacity to meet regional workforce demand and positions graduates for high-skill, high-demand aviation careers.

Translation? Hernando County kids will be able to walk out of a state college and into an aircraft hangar — no four-year degree, no six-figure student loan balance required.

A Bet DeSantis Made in 2019

The governor used the Brooksville stop to look back at the Job Growth Grant Fund he touted at the start of his first term, which was built to expand high school career programs, apprenticeships, and manufacturing partnerships across the state.

Since then, the fund has bankrolled a wide expansion of workforce training — everything from commercial truck driving credentials to aerospace programs, the governor said. Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas put the fund’s cumulative awards at $12 billion, per FOX 13.

DeSantis framed the grant as part of a broader push to give students options beyond the traditional college track, saying it “doesn’t have to be four-year brick and ivy universities” — apprenticeships, high school certifications, and the state college system all count.

He also made the blunt economic case for the trades: whatever the future holds, air conditioners will keep breaking, and somebody has to fix them.

Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner — a PHSC alum — told the crowd the growth fund and programs like it have spent years leveling the playing field for students who don’t take the university route.

Sourcing: FOX 13 Tampa Bay coverage of the June 10, 2026 press conference in Brooksville.

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That lobbyist is Mike Beltran — a Harvard-trained attorney, a former Republican member of the Florida House, and, as of last month, a candidate for Congress.

Here’s how the pieces fit together.

The robber.

Back in 2010, Turkish national Yener Vahit Belli earned the nickname “Hoodie Bandit” from Tampa Bay reporters and police. He wore hooded sweatshirts and sunglasses while he held up numerous convenience stores and gas stations around Hillsborough County, waving a TEC-9 and ordering clerks and customers to the floor. He got away with cash, cigarettes, and lottery tickets.

Police arrested him in October 2010 after spotting him on surveillance footage. In 2013 he pleaded guilty in federal court and was sentenced to 32 years. An alleged getaway driver got 10 years.

The reason the sentence ran so long: at the time, federal law stacked harsh, mandatory penalties on top of each other for using a gun during a robbery. Those rules have since been softened — and that’s the opening Belli’s team is now trying to use.

The lobbyist.

Your typical lobbyist is essentially someone paid to argue a client’s case to people in government. Usually you hear about them pushing bills or chasing contracts. This is something newer: lobbyists hired to win presidential pardons.

Federal records show Belli’s family signed a contract with Beltran on Nov. 24, 2025. Beltran’s law firm is listed as the official registrant, Belli as the client, and the job as — in plain terms — lobbying for a pardon. The filing reports he was paid $15,000 in the final months of 2025.

Beltran has since written to the Trump Justice Department arguing that Belli’s sentence is based on an old, now-rejected reading of the law and is far longer than Congress would consider fair today. He sent the pardon office a six-page letter with more than 80 pages of attachments asking that the sentence be cut to time already served.

“This is a case about proportion and sentencing,” Beltran told the news outlet NOTUS, which first reported the arrangement. He says his client has turned his life around — earned an MBA behind bars, lined up a job and a place to live, and is ready to stay out of trouble.

Belli, in his own petition, says he’s not the troubled 26-year-old he was when he committed the crimes. “I know I can never undo what I did,” he wrote.

Belli isn’t alone. Since Trump returned to office, he’s granted pardons or clemency to more than 1,800 people — far more than in his entire first term. That flood has created a small industry of lobbyists charging big fees to get inmates’ names in front of the White House.

The administration waves it off. A White House official told NOTUS that the president decides pardons himself and that anyone paying a lobbyist for one is wasting their money. Watchdogs see it differently, warning that money and connections are starting to matter as much as the facts of a case. Defenders point out that hiring an advocate is perfectly legal, and that Trump has backed criminal-justice reform before.

The twist.

Here’s the part worth watching. Beltran left the Florida House in 2024, saying at the time it was for family and professional reasons. Then in May 2026 — after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a new map that turned a Democratic-leaning Tampa-area seat into a strong Republican one — Beltran seized the opportunity and jumped into the congressional race for it.

So the same attorney lobbying Trump’s administration for a convicted robber’s freedom is also asking voters to send him to Washington as a Trump ally.

His opponents have started asking the obvious questions: Why leave Tallahassee and then run for Congress? What changed? Was the friendlier new map the reason? The public timeline is clear — he stepped down, the map changed, he got in the race. What it all means is for voters to decide.

Bottom line.

The facts on paper aren’t in dispute. A man is serving 32 years for armed robbery. His family paid Beltran $15,000 to lobby for a pardon. Beltran has formally made the ask. And Beltran is running for Congress while he does it.

Whether Trump grants the pardon is anyone’s guess — the White House says it doesn’t discuss requests that may or may not exist.

Reporting drawn from the U.S. Department of Justice, the Tampa Bay Times, federal lobbying and clemency filings as reported by NOTUS, Florida Phoenix, and Ballotpedia. Current as of June 2026
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The spending plan (HB 5001E) covers the fiscal year beginning July 1 and comes in below the current year’s budget — marking the second year in a row the state has pulled back. The figure landed below what the Senate had sought but above the House’s regular-session position, reflecting a tense negotiation between the chambers’ leaders. House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, had pushed to cut the more than $115 billion current budget, while Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, favored keeping funding roughly level.

The final votes were lopsided even if the path was not: the Senate approved the plan unanimously and the House passed it 99-6. Perez said Floridians expect their government to spend responsibly and focus on the issues that matter most to families.

The budget keeps about $14 billion in reserves — roughly $8.6 billion in unallocated general revenue and $5.7 billion in the Budget Stabilization Fund. It also includes pay raises debated for more than a year: a 4% bump for state law enforcement officers, firefighters and park rangers, plus an increase for corrections officers, whose hourly pay could rise from $22 to $24.

Education spending was a sticking point. The Senate had tried during the regular session to overhaul the state’s school-voucher program after an audit flagged problems accounting for millions of dollars, but the House declined to go along. In the end, both chambers agreed to maintain $4.5 billion for homeschool and private-school scholarships.

The budget now goes to Gov. Ron DeSantis, who warned this week that he is likely to trim the plan further. His largest single cut came in 2022, when he vetoed more than $3 billion from the Legislature’s budget.
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