The newcomer, Maureen Saunders Scott, caught the attention of Miami Beach residents who noticed that there were now two candidates named Saunders in the race.
Joe Saunders' presence in the race didn't raise any eyebrows. Saunders, 41, who is the senior political director for the LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Florida, served in the Florida House from 2012 to 2014 as a Democratic representative for the Orlando area. He was one of the first openly gay members of the state legislature.
Basabe's name is familiar to residents, not only as the incumbent but also for flip-flopping on gay rights issues and for his involvement in tabloid-worthy controversies. (Basabe himself came out as gay in 2021.)
But Maureen Saunders Scott is a political neophyte. What's more, the 63-year-old candidate lives near Jacksonville — nearly 300 miles away from District 106, which covers Miami Beach, Sunny Isles, and Bay Harbor Islands.
As New Times reported at the time, some theorized that she might have entered the fray as a so-called ghost candidate intending to confuse residents and siphon votes away from the other Saunders in the race.
Six days after filing to run, Maureen Saunders Scott changed her name on the ballot to "Moe Saunders."
In the meantime, public records obtained by New Times revealed that Saunders Scott is Joe Saunders' aunt.
Saunders Scott hasn't responded to messages from New Times asking why she is running.
Meanwhile, a review of Basabe's profile on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, reveals that he and Saunders Scott interacted months before she entered the race."Let them obsess over me. Let them dream over me. I, Fabián Basabe, WORK FOR THE PEOPLE."
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On February 17, Basabe published a lengthy tweet bemoaning the perils of public service. "Everyone is sick of smear campaigns or certainly should be!" it began. "In politics, a disturbing number of people strive to despise, accuse, and destroy rather than inspire ideas and collaboration, yet few show up to vote in comparison to the number so ready to distract and make noise...."
The following day, Saunders Scott, posting under the username @new_kim26659, left a comment in which she offered to supply information about her nephew, Basabe's opponent. (She had been reposting Basabe's tweets since as early as January 9.)
"I'm @JoeSaunders4FL Aunt if you have any questions regarding his character, or lack of thereof," the tweet reads. "#Ally of over 40yrs #METOO."
On X in February, Maureen Saunders Scott, AKA Moe Saunders, offered to give Fabián Basabe information about his Democratic opponent Joe Saunders.
Screenshot via X
Later that same day, Saunders Scott reposted a message from the conservative activist group "Gays Against Groomers," commenting, "THANK YOU FROM AN #ALLY #METOO Survivor of the Saunders Family System @EqualityFlorida @equalityfl @GAG_Florida."
Basabe, in turn, commented on her retweet, thanking Saunders Scott "for trying to share truth."
"I am so saddened and sorry for what you have gone through," he added. "As for my opposition, voters clearly see I won't run a dirty campaign. I'm sure you notice I barely reference anyone's name. I don't recognize nor do I acknowledge people with lack of integrity. This is a tell-all for voters. Let them obsess over me. Let them dream over me. I, Fabián Basabe, WORK FOR THE PEOPLE."
In February, Miami Beach Rep. Fabián Basabe responded to one of Saunders Scott's tweets about her family.
Screenshot via X
"My opposition and his camp have suggested far worse and I'm sure have a lot more in store for me. I ran a clean race in 2022 and I am focused on running my own race now. People can no longer afford distractions. I'm focused on delivering for my community, building strong relationships between cities in District 106 and Tallahassee, shutting down spring break, supporting funding for resiliency and our waterways; [I] made sure our teachers got a raise, made sure our cops and firemen get the respect they deserve, preserved our Miami Beach Historic Art Deco District, made HIV preventative medication more easily accessible, and addressed homelessness.Meanwhile, Saunders sued his aunt last week, alleging that she's using the nickname "Moe Saunders" on the ballot to "confuse, deceive and mislead voters, and fraudulently siphon votes from Joe Saunders."
"Voters in Orlando rejected Joe Saunders and now he wants to run in Miami-Dade. This district does not want to be a part of Joe and Moe Saunders' family spectacle. While I hope they can resolve their differences, I am solely focused on delivering results for my district and winning in November."
"It's bad enough that outside interests are attempting to price out our beloved communities. We now have outsiders trying to win our elections.
"Maybe someone should just ask Moe why she's running before throwing bogus accusations around! However, unlike most politicians, I'll answer your question: No! And no Joe!"
"In fact, she is known by the name Mo Scott, not 'Mo Saunders' — and definitely not 'Moe Saunders,'" the lawsuit states.
Saunders Scott has denied the allegation, maintaining that "Moe" has been her nickname for years.
On her social media accounts, she has been deriding her nephew's character and claiming he failed to protect her from familial sexual abuse.
She has yet to file a response to the lawsuit. But on June 20, she tweeted, "I know my nephew and I know he is bad for Florida. I have seen the incumbent’s record and believe he is also a bad choice for Florida."
