UPDATED 09/10/13: I finally found the Miami Herald article, which can be read here. (Also reprinted at the end of this column after the El Nuevo Herald translation.)
Unless local politicians do something so blatantly in-your-face stupid or corrupt, or both, it’s not that easy for a blogger to find material entertaining enough to inspire a post. Taking a cue from my friend over at Random Pixels, I’ve started trolling online sites other than my two stand-bys, the Miami Herald and Channel 7, for some fresh ideas. This morning I just happened to come across a website called www.govofficials.com, which compiles a list of several dozen links to various online news sites, both locally and from around the world, local bloggers Political Cortadito and The Crespogram Report, as well as a special column listing stories about Ethics in Government. (No, that is not an oxymoron. At least I’m sure that wasn’t the website’s intention.)
I clicked on a story in the Ethics in Government column entitled Ex Police Go To FBI Over Ballot Fraud only to find an El Nuevo Herald article in Spanish from August 21, 2013 by reporters Enrique Flor and Melissa Sanchez. I searched the Herald for English version of the article, but could find none. It’s certainly curious that such an important article would not have been published in the Miami Herald, especially since Melissa Sanchez has written many fine articles in English for El Nuevo Herald’s parent company. Just because I couldn’t find it, doesn’t mean it wasn’t published, though. So if anyone has seen a corresponding article in the Miami Herald, I’d sure appreciate a link.
This story highlights the corruption and cover up of the absentee ballot fraud problem we have here in South Florida that the State Attorney’s Office, the Ethics Commission and the Elections Department insist doesn’t exist. By not publishing this article in English, the Miami Herald is also saying, “Nothing to see here, folks. Move right along.”
Fortunately, I can read Spanish. Unfortunately, I can’t translate it, so you’ll just have to suffer through the Google Translate version, which totally sucks. But I guarantee it’s much better than anything I could do.
In any event, the article is a MUST READ, so I’m posting the translated version here in its entirety.
If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention!
Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”
Posted on Wednesday, 21 august 2013
Miami – Dade Police reported investigating obstruction ticket sellers
Enrique Flor and Melissa Sanchez
Former members of the Public Corruption Unit of the Police Department Miami – Dade revealed to the FBI denounce the alleged obstruction of a fraud investigation involving election in 2012 to the campaign of county Mayor Carlos Gimenez.
They also argue that the recent reduction in the size of this police unit is political retaliation for investigating absentee ballot fraud in Hialeah.
“When the man who has the power to hire and fire the police chief is part of the research, everyone is afraid to do something, or follow proper police procedures,” said John Rivera, president of the county police union. “In recent days several of these researchers have gone to the FBI and reported that they have stopped the investigations.”
Both Gimenez as the police chief, JD Patterson, the mayor rejected not influence the investigation or the decision to reduce the 20-10 unit detectives in late July.
“I do not put my hands in the department every day,” he said Giménez told El Nuevo Herald. “I was never involved in any of the investigations.”
The mayor said that the allegations are politically motivated and that match a round of negotiations with the police union will hold from next week.
But the police union leader and police sources told that unit El Nuevo Herald that key evidence was withheld months in the case of election fraud that erupted a year ago with the arrest of ticket seller Penton Deisy Cabrera, a few blocks office Gimenez campaign in Hialeah.
They also questioned why not executed a search warrant at the office of mayor’s campaign even though when Cabrera was seen coming in and out of the place with absentee ballots in hand.
The Channel 41, America TeVe, reported Monday that former members of the unit planned to use the FBI.
One of the former detectives that unit resigned Friday after he was transferred to general cases investigated in the Doral area. Luis Rodriguez, with 29 years in the Department, declined to comment for this report because he said he has hired a lawyer.
“I’m evaluating all my legal options,” said Rodriguez.
The deputy police chief, Juan Perez, described Rodriguez as a good researcher and explained that the decision to transfer was due in part to their participation in the political campaign of Joe Martinez, who aspired unsuccessfully against Giménez in 2012. Perez said Rodriguez did not violate departmental rules but that it was an activity “inappropriate” for a public corruption investigator.
“We can not be a public corruption unit to investigate politicians and also work on their campaigns,” said Perez.
Patterson also expressed discomfort with Rodriguez for being nominated for a police department in Florida (FDLE) private detective Joe Carrillo, who filed the initial information against Cabrera department in July 2012.
“Luis Rodriguez does not speak for the Miami Police Department Dade. That’s my job,” said Patterson. “[These nominations] should stop by my office […] You can not ignore my office for favors or preferences. That’s not acceptable.”
Carrillo said Rodriguez nominated him for his work to find missing children in the County.
“I rescued 30 minors in the past year, two of them hostages,” said Carrillo. “I think the FBI should investigate the real reasons that Luis Rodriguez was transferred Corruption Unit.”
Since the scandal broke boleteras in Hialeah, Carrillo has become a vocal critic of the authorities in Miami – Dade. The Cabrera court case was transferred to the Office of the State Attorney in Broward after the Miami attorney Katherine Fernandez – Rundle, is separated from the case citing a conflict of interest. His own political consultant also worked with the Gimenez campaign.
In March, the private detective questioned why the Miami – Dade authorities had not given to the prosecution of Broward three report that Cabrera was confiscated to the day of his arrest. The books were not delivered until El Nuevo Herald will report on this apparent concealment of evidence.
A police source said on Tuesday, told El Nuevo Herald that the books were, for more than seven months, stored on a shelf beside the desk of detective on the case in the office of the Public Corruption Unit.
The books contained the names, phone numbers and other information on hundreds of voters Hialeah, plus the names of elected judges and judicial candidates with amounts of money, according to an investigation by El Nuevo Herald, he finally got this evidence in May after a public records request. Nobody had interviewed judges or judicial candidates, according to police sources.
Patterson said he could not comment on the investigation into the ticket seller Cabrera, whose court case is still pending.
“I do not think that research has been postponed,” said the police chief. “Investigations take time.”
Patterson said the decision to reduce the Public Corruption Unit was hers, and only supported Gimenez. He explained that for years there had been talk of a restructuring of the entire department to make it more efficient. The police chief, who took office last year, also expressed doubts about the ability of the unit, but refused to elaborate.
Four of the 10 detectives who remain in the unit are now assigned to work with a team dedicated to public corruption is being led by the FBI.
On Tuesday night, county spokesman told El Nuevo Herald delivered a letter written the same day by the special agent in charge of the FBI office in Miami Patterson thanked the participation of detectives in his department in that panel.
“The [team] gives his department a chance to participate in cases of high level corruption through the FBI as an independent investigative agency, apolitical and objective,” wrote Michael Steinbach agent.
© 2013 The Miami Herald . All Rights Reserved.
http://www.elnuevoherald.com
Miami-Dade mayor accused of retaliation in cuts to police corruption unit
Some of the members involved “have gone to the FBI to report that their investigations have been stopped,” Rivera said.
Both Giménez and Police Chief J.D. Patterson denied that the mayor influenced the investigation or the decision to reduce the unit from 20 to 10 detectives in late July.
“I don’t get involved in the day-to-day workings of the department,” Giménez told El Nuevo Herald. “I was never involved in any of the investigations.”
The mayor said the complainants have political motives because their concerns coincide with a round of negotiations that he will hold with the union beginning next week.
But the union leader and police sources told El Nuevo Herald that key evidence was concealed for months in the electoral fraud case that exploded a year ago with the arrest of ballot collector Deisy Pentón de Cabrera a few blocks away from Giménez’s campaign office in Hialeah.
They also questioned why no warrant was executed for a raid on the campaign office, even though Cabrera was seen entering and leaving the place carrying absentee ballots in her hands.
Channel 41, America TeVe, reported Monday that some former members of the unit planned to appeal to the FBI.
A detectives from the unit resigned last Friday after being transferred to general investigations in the Doral area.
Luis Rodríguez, a 29-year veteran, refused to comment, saying he has hired an attorney.
“I’m evaluating all my legal options,” Rodríguez said.
Juan Pérez, deputy police director, explained that the decision to transfer Rodríguez was partly due to his participation in the political campaign of Joe Martínez, who ran unsuccessfully against Giménez in 2012.
While Rodríguez did not violate department rules, Pérez said his political activities were “inappropriate” for an investigator of public corruption.
“We can’t be in Public Corruption, investigate politicians and be pushing an election for a politician,” Perez said.
Chief Patterson also expressed displeasure with Rodríguez for nominating Joe Carillo, a private detective, for a Florida Department of Law Enforcement award. Carrillo submitted the initial information against Cabrera in 2012.
“Luis Rodriguez does not speak for MDPD. I think that’s my job,” Patterson said. Those nominations “should go through my office….It’s not about circumventing any personal favors or personal preferences or whatever caused that. That’s not acceptable.”
http://www.miamiherald.com
