New records released by Florida state law enforcement revealed Florida’s director of the election security office, who died last year shortly after attending a meeting inside Governor Ron DeSantis’ office, was not approached for 24 minutes after dying outside the DeSantis office.
Election security director Pete Antonacci, 74, left a heated meeting in September of last year in a conference room inside the governor’s office.
Investigators revealed that Antonacci “abruptly got up from his seat and walked out” of the meeting after getting agitated.
Surveillance footage shows Antonacci leaving the conference room staggering at 1:46 pm; he soon fell and struck his head on a doorframe.
It wasn’t until 24 minutes later he received any aid.
Some meeting attendees were James C. Byrd, Florida’s secretary of state, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) officials, and several attorneys for DeSantis and Byrd.
DeSantis was not reported as an attendee of the meeting.
Florida official’s body went undiscovered for 24 minutes outside DeSantis’ office https://t.co/Un10fcGHKo pic.twitter.com/Jnxh9bvmS2
— WFLA NEWS (@WFLA) November 28, 2023
Per USA Today:
Florida’s director of the controversial elections security office, who died last year right after a meeting in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office, lay unattended for 24 minutes before being found, new records released by state law enforcement show.
Pete Antonacci, 74, had left abruptly during a contentious meeting on Sept. 23 last year in a conference room in the governor’s office with 11 attendees, including Secretary of State Cord Byrd and Florida Department of Law Enforcement officials and attorneys for Byrd and DeSantis.
Antonacci, a native of Hialeah in Miami-Dade County, was known as a “Mr. Fix-it” for his wide-ranging roles in state government over the years. He had been named by DeSantis to head the recently-created and controversial Office of Elections Crimes and Security.
FDLE Director Scott McInerney, who was in the meeting, said an “agitated” Antonacci “abruptly” rose from his seat and walked out. There was no record of what was discussed during the meeting or what may have prompted Antonacci to exit the gathering alone.
DeSantis aide lay ‘dead or dying’ outside governor’s office for 24 minuteshttps://t.co/bXBW3z1WFZ
— The Independent (@Independent) November 28, 2023
Antonacci’s wife and doctor told authorities that Pete had a history of cardiac issues and heart disease.
There is no suspected foul play.