Father of commissioner arrested for falsifying voter record

Last year, Historic City News reported the complaint of former St Augustine Beach Mayor Frank Charles alleging that during the 2010 election, beach commissioner Undine Pawlowski would stop at nothing to register anyone who she felt would vote for her in the race with St Augustine Beach resident Hester Longstreet — including her father.

Ordinarily, you would have expected to see then 65-year-old Michel Serge Pawlowski on the campaign trail for his daughter; and, at times, he was.

Since 1976, Michel Pawlowski has been an employee of the Federal Emergency Management Administration. He has an office in Washington, D.C. where he supervises other employees on a day-to-day basis. According to FEMA personnel records, and verified through public records searches, Pawlowski commutes from his suburban home at 3432 Red Admiral Court, in Edgewater, Maryland. He declares that residence as his homestead, according to property tax records.

However, two months before Commissioner Undine Pawlowski was elected, on September 30, 2010, her father, Michel Pawlowski, completed and signed a voter registration form for the St Johns County Supervisor of Elections where he affirmed that his legal residence was “405 F Street in the City of St Augustine Beach — making him eligible to vote in his daughter’s election.

In October of 2012, former Mayor Charles filed a formal elections fraud complaint against Michel Pawlowski with the Division of Elections in Tallahassee, Florida. The complaint included a statement by the homeowner at 405 F Street in St Augustine Beach, which was forwarded to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for investigation.

FDLE Special Agent Gregory Lee Holycross has charged that St Augustine Beach Commissioner Undine Pawlowski’s father, Michel Serge Pawlowski a resident of Edgewater, Maryland, submitted false voter registration information in St Johns County; and did so in order to participate in three local elections.

The Holycross investigation revealed that on July 5, 2011, Pawlowski completed and signed a second voter registration form changing his address to 9 C Street, St. Augustine Beach, Florida. Then, on July 7, two days later, Pawlowski completed and signed a third voter registration form changing his address back to 405 F Street, St. Augustine Beach, Florida.

“By signing these three forms Pawlowski confirmed the oath that he was qualified to register as an elector and that all the information he provided on the application was true,” Holycross stated.

Pawlowski voted in St. Johns County Florida by absentee ballot mailed to his home in Maryland during the general election on November 2, 2010, the Presidential Primary Election on January 31, 2012, and the General Election on November 61 2012.

“Michel Pawlowski has never been a legal permanent resident of St. Johns County Florida and therefore was not qualified to register to vote during any election,” according to Holycross.

Since the Historic City News article was published, there have been moves that may have tipped Pawlowski off that he needed to act. On January 13, 2013 an interview was conducted with Michel Pawlowski at the office of John Rooney; Director of Security for FEMA in Arlington, Virginia.

In that interview, Pawlowski stated that the address he reported on his voter registration forms, 405 F Street, was his address and that his daughter lived there. He stated he frequently stayed there and was “helping her out” with money when she needed it.

Pawlowski could not explain why he changed his address on his voter registration form from 9 C Street back to 405 F Street on July 7, 2011 when he had not been at the residence for over seven months.

Pawlowski stated his Florida LLC was an active business but would not state the nature of that business.

Following that interview, on February 7, 2013, Pawlowski surrendered the Maryland driver’s license he has had since 1994 and obtained a Florida driver’s license. The following month, March 21, 2013 Michel joined Undine Pawlowski in a mortgage for the residence at 9 C Street, in St Augustine Beach, where he said he “lived” for two days in 2011.

The address state agents say Michel Pawlowski was using, 405 F Street, is owned by Donna Giancola, who was legally married to Undine Pawlowski. Giancola gave a sworn statement wherein she stated that she was the co-owner of 405 F Street with Undine Pawlowski where the two women lived from 2002 until January of 2011. During that time Michel Pawlowski would visit and stay at the residence on occasion. Giancola stated that Michael Pawlowski never visited or stayed at 405 F Street during 2011 or 2012.

Circuit Judge Michael Traynor issued a warrant for Pawlowski’s arrest, and he turned himself in to the county jail yesterday afternoon. Although the warrant ordered that bond be set at $5,000, Pawlowski was released on his own recognizance because he voluntarily surrendered to sheriff.

No court date has been set.