Florida Senate GOP candidate faces September trial in $48K theft case involving an HOA

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – A candidate for Florida Senate this August is facing charges of grand theft in Orange County involving a homeowner’s association, with a trial scheduled to start in September.

Cheryl Blancett, 63, is facing charges that stem from a years-long investigation into the theft of nearly $48,000 from a homeowners association for a neighborhood in east Orange County. According to the arrest report, the officers for the Sawgrass Estates HOA hired Blancett to manage their subdivision from April 2018 to August 2019.

The investigators accuse Blancett of intermingling the HOA funds with her personal funds, using money for personal expenses and purchases that were not approved HOA expenses.

They believe Blancett ended up taking $47,22.34 from the HOA. She has pleaded not guilty.

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Blancett is running to be the Republican candidate in the Florida Senate District 13 race, representing parts of Orange and Lake counties. She is on the ballot as “CJ” Blancett.

She faces businessman Bowen Kou and outgoing Florida House Rep. Keith Truenow in the Republican primary on Aug. 20. Kou is currently suing the Florida Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee for libel over a political mailer that questions whether he and his donors have any ties to the Chinese government (Kou is an American citizen). The mailer was sent out on Truenow’s behalf and cites his approval.

The winner of the Aug. 20 primary will face Democrat Stephanie Dukes in November.

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