Miami-Dade County - Global pulse News
  • Miami-Dade County men arrested for their role in a Virginia cigarette heist, cops say

    Miami-Dade County men arrested for their role in a Virginia cigarette heist, cops say

    Two Miami-Dade County men are in jail awaiting extradition to Virginia in connection with a huge cigarette heist there last month.

    Alberto Rico Perez, 31, of Miami Gardens and Ramon Izquierdo, 57, of Hialeah were arrested Friday by the Miami-Dade County Fugitive Task Force and Doral Police Department, according to officials.

    Police in Culpeper, Virginia, say the men were among a crew of five thieves who burglarized the Merchants Grocery Company on March 23.

    They forced their way inside the building and stole an undisclosed amount of cigarette cartons, Officer Julia Cole with the Culpeper Police Department said in a statement.

    The men then stole a box truck from the business and left town, Cole said.

    Both are being held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Facility. Soon come, they’ll be sent back to Virginia on charges of burglary, felony conspiracy to commit burglary and two counts of grand larceny.

    “The actions these criminals took in our Town had a significant impact on the local business community,” Culpeper Chief C. Settle said. “Utilizing emerging technology and dogged investigative determination, our detectives and analyst worked tirelessly with law enforcement agencies and federal partners along the entire East Coast. Technology has become an integral part of modern policing, but it’s the men and women behind the technology that truly make it effective. Thank you to our partner agencies for their on-going assistance and cooperation.”

    The multi-agency investigation included the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and police agencies in Florida, New Jersey, New York, Kentucky, North Carolina and South Carolina.

    As probe into the break in continues, Cole said more people may be arrested.

    According to Miami-Dade County court records, Izquierdo has a lengthy criminal record in South Florida that includes a 2022 conviction for cocaine trafficking.

    Police ask anyone with information about the case to call Detective M. Hays at 540-829-5508 or email tips@culpeperva.gov. Callers who wish to remain anonymous can submit tips by calling Culpeper Crime Solvers at 540-727-0300 or submit tips at culpeperpd.org.

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  • 1 wounded in road rage-fueled shooting on I-95 in Miami-Dade, troopers say

    1 wounded in road rage-fueled shooting on I-95 in Miami-Dade, troopers say

    One person was wounded in a road rage-fueled shooting on Saturday on Interstate 95 in Miami-Dade County, troopers say.

    The shooting happened on the southbound lanes of I-95 in the area of State Road 836, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

    The gunman shot at a driver twice after a “road rage” incident on the highway, according to FHP Lieutenant Alejandro Camacho. One of the bullets struck the driver-side window and grazed their left arm, he said.

    The wounded person was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital in stable condition.

    No other information was immediately available.

    Anyone with information about the shooting should call police.

    This bulletin will be updated.

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  • Want a ‘green job?’ Paid Climate Corps training positions are now open in Miami.

    Want a ‘green job?’ Paid Climate Corps training positions are now open in Miami.

    Between the White House launching the nascent American Climate Corps program and Miami-Dade County seeking $70M to bankroll climate technology careers, the “green jobs” industry in South Florida finally shows signs of taking off.

    At the very least, groups that run job training programs are finally starting to see some real federal money and to take applications.

    The first round of postings went up last week to join the American Climate Corps — an effort the Biden administration says is modeled after the New Deal jobs program created during the Great Depression. The goal is to put more than 20,000 young people to work in emerging industries seeking to fill shortages of skilled workers.

    Two South Florida groups have already signed up to offer paid job training through the American Climate Corps: The Greater Miami Service Corps and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida. Three other groups also have signed around the state.

    Defining a “green” career can cover a lot of ground. On the newly launched federal government website, ClimateCorps.gov, there’s the option to choose between different areas like forestry, solar and renewable energy or wildfire prevention. But trade work, like learning new construction techniques or equipment installation and repair, also promises to a big part of green industries.

    For now, the American Climate Corps positions are not permanent and the openings are limited. There are just 15 initial openings with the Greater Miami Service Corp, for instance. And the inaugural local green job training options are entry-level with pay that reflects that. But the White House touts the program as one that it hopes will lead to “good-paying” union job around the country.

    “We will put tens of thousands of young people to work at the forefront of our climate resilience and energy future, clean energy future,” President Joe Biden said during an Earth Day announcement last month that kicked off the program.

    Members of the Greater Miami Service Corps “green corps” clean an air filter at a residents home. The home energy efficiency projects can save residents up to $200 a year on their power bill.

    Members of the Greater Miami Service Corps “green corps” clean an air filter at a residents home. The home energy efficiency projects can save residents up to $200 a year on their power bill.

    In South Florida, such job-training programs have been around for decades — but the American Climate Corps effort could eventually bring lots more money to support the efforts.

    The Greater Service Miami Corps has been in operation for more than 33 years, mostly working with young people between 18 and 24 who graduated high school or never finished. They have help them get their GED while training them to do in-demand work like removing septic tanks, pouring concrete, changing heating and air-conditioning systems, fixing planes and painting buildings.

    Most recently, they partnered with TEDc, an affordable housing development company in Liberty City. Trainees there are learning plumbing, masonry, carpentry and possibly electrical as they turn over units for new rentals. They follow a curriculum of sustainability practices from the National Center for Construction Education and Research.

    “One of the biggest challenges for us is finding qualified employees,” said Miguel Zaldivar, construction manager for TEDc. “We’re hoping with the hands-on training, they can eventually come on board with our team.”

    While not all the training at the Greater Service Miami Corps is for green jobs, with funding from Volunteer Florida in 2023, they started a “green corp.” Some members help maintain green spaces in city parks and others visit residents’ homes around the community and install water and electric upgrades, like LED light bulbs, caulking and low-flow faucets.

    Kenyon Williams, 19, joined the Greater Miami Service Corps in 2019. Last week, he cleaned a resident’s air-conditioning filter — basic but often-ignored maintenance that can improve energy efficiency and reduce bills.

    “Before I joined I just sat around the house not really doing nothing, so I just made the best use of myself and applied,” Williams said. “Now I know I want to go into a career in HVAC.”

    Tuwanda Nickerson, whose disabled father lives at the house Williams serviced, said the Greater Miami Service Corps helped them “tremendously.”

    “The bill has gone down at least $50,” Nickerson said.

    Debbie Dorsett, the executive director of the Greater Service Miami Corps , said the nonprofit has been supported by a mix of state, federal and sources of funding over the years. She hopes joining the federal climate corp training program will bring in more money and job candidates.

    “It’s in alignment with the work that we’re currently doing, and will provide future opportunities for us to expand our services within the climate change area,” Dorsett said.

    Beginning this summer, every American Climate Corps member will also be able to have access to apprentice programs designed to assist women, veterans, and communities of color to start and keep careers in the construction industry. Climate Corps training is also intended as an expedited pathway into working with the federal government.

    The future of the Climate Corp, however, may hinge on decision in Washington. In a current budget proposal, the White House is seeking $8 billion from Congress to scale up the program and add 50,000 new openings each year through 2031. That might not happen, so for now, funding is coming from other federal programs like the Department of Labor’s YouthBuild and Americorps.

    Climate apprentice Viviana Acevedo, with Urban Paradise Guild of Miami, removes the bark around the trunk of an invasive Australian pine tree. The technique called girdling the bark, eventually kills the invasive trees found at Arch Creek East Environmental Preserve in North Miami on Friday, April 26, 2024.Climate apprentice Viviana Acevedo, with Urban Paradise Guild of Miami, removes the bark around the trunk of an invasive Australian pine tree. The technique called girdling the bark, eventually kills the invasive trees found at Arch Creek East Environmental Preserve in North Miami on Friday, April 26, 2024.

    Climate apprentice Viviana Acevedo, with Urban Paradise Guild of Miami, removes the bark around the trunk of an invasive Australian pine tree. The technique called girdling the bark, eventually kills the invasive trees found at Arch Creek East Environmental Preserve in North Miami on Friday, April 26, 2024.

    Climate Apprentices

    Though limited for now, the hope is that the list of job and training options added to the American Climate Corps website will grow as more organizations decide to collaborate. The Urban Paradise Guild (UPG), a conservation non-profit in Miami-Dade, is also considering the White House’s invitation. The Urban Paradise Guild fights the climate crisis through nature based solutions, education and policy-work, Jackeline Bonilla, the executive director of the Urban Paradise Guild said.

    The organization received federal funding from Americorps for the first time in July, and with it, they were able to launch a paid “climate apprenticeship” program.

    “Climate apprentices use skills to fight the climate crisis,” Bonilla said. “This is for everyone, for people taking a gap-year, new retirees, for second changes and we will teach you how to work with nature.”

    Climate apprentices work 20 hours a week doing more physically intensive projects outside, like removing invasives in the dry season and planting trees in the wet season. For 10 hours a week, the apprentices pick a selected specialty to work on.

    Viviana Acevedo picked urban forestry as her climate apprentice specialty.

    “My culture, my family’s Indigenous Mexico, has been ingrained in me since I was younger,” Acevedo said. “I have always had a respect for nature, but I got to a point where not only do we need to respect but we need to protect it.”

    Acevedo wants to be a veterinarian when she is older. One of her jobs at UPG is to monitor a bird island, and the team is working on policy to get the birds protected.

    “It’s one thing to sit and watch the nature channel, but it’s another thing to come out and actually be here,” Acevedo said. “These are things that I personally care about, and that I’m passionate about. But it’s also things that will help me in my career.”

    Apprentices get a $ 1,725-a-month stipend and an educational reward of more than $4,800 with the completion of the program, if committed to 12,000 hours. Bonilla acknowledges the money isn’t enough to afford living expenses in Miami, but they try to support the apprentices by giving them access to food grown in the farm share garden in Hialeah.

    The applications are on a rolling class basis, and they have two people in the program, and 25 slots available. There are openings for Creole and Spanish climate education, farming, nursery managing, landscaping and more. They are also looking for an assistant to help organize some of the data and recruitment for the climate apprenticeship program for $29,400 a year.

    ClimateReady Tech Hub

    There is also the hope for higher-paying green jobs on the horizon.

    Miami-Dade also was designated by the u.s. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) as a technology hub in October 2023, according to the Miami-Dade county website. The ClimateReady Tech Hub did not respond to the Miami Herald for comment. The Hub is seeking $70M from the EDA for the region to create 23,000 jobs with a average base salary of $83,000. The county said this will add $41B to the regions market value.

    Of the 23,000 jobs the Hub will create, at least 15,100 positions should be filled with “underrepresented” people.

    There are 60 partners spanning businesses, government, higher education, workforce, and community organizations in the tech hub and they’re focused on three projects: infrastructure, coastline protection and energy efficiency.

    How to apply:

    Greater Miami Service Corps: The deadline for application to apply is July 31. Pay for the training positions is $13.88 an hour.

    The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians: The deadline to apply is May. Trainees will work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to collect data on the hydrologic changes to the tree islands in the Everglades. Pay for the position is $15 an hour.

    Urban Paradise Guild Climate Apprentice: They are accepting on a rolling basis. The application to apply is here. It offers a $ 1,725-a-month stipend and an educational award of $4,800 with the completion of the program.

    Ashley Miznazi is a climate change reporter for the Miami Herald funded by the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners.

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  • Can you swim naked at the beach in Miami? Smoke, sleep or drink? What the laws say

    Can you swim naked at the beach in Miami? Smoke, sleep or drink? What the laws say

    Miami-area beaches seem like places you can do just about anything.

    Not quite. There are rules to follow. They involve nudity, cooking, drinking and spending the night.

    And over the past couple of years, local governments have banned cigarettes at the beach in an effort to cut the smoke and litter.

    MORE: Does Florida have nude beaches? Here’s where you can find clothing-optional sites

    Here’s what to know about what you can and can’t do on the beach in South Florida:

    Smoking

    Cigarette butts are left behind as litter on Crandon Park Beach on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, the day the Miami-Dade County Commission passed an ordinance banning cigarette smoking on county beaches.

    Cigarette butts are left behind as litter on Crandon Park Beach on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, the day the Miami-Dade County Commission passed an ordinance banning cigarette smoking on county beaches.

    Miami-Dade law: Miami-Dade County approved an ordinance in June 2023 that bans smoking at county parks and beaches. Unfiltered cigars are still allowed. The law applies to:

    Haulover Park Beach

    Crandon Park Beach

    Rickenbacker Causeway beaches

    Atoll pools at Matheson Hammock Park

    Homestead Bayfront Park

    Larry and Penny Thompson Park Beach

    Amelia Earhart Park Beach

    The county cites health consequences of secondhand smoke exposure and cigarette butts some smokers leave behind that could affect the environment. Violators are subject to a civil citation and face a fine of up to $100 for their first offense. A second offense will carry a fine of $200, and third and subsequent offenses will carry a fine of $300.

    Miami Beach law: A smoking ban on city beaches and public parks went into effect in January 2023. Violating the law could lead to fines — $100 for a first offense and $200 for a second offense within a 12-month period — or even arrests at the discretion of Miami Beach police with a penalty of up to 60 days in jail. A third offense within 12 months would automatically trigger a criminal violation.

    Florida Keys law: Monroe County approved a smoking ban in August 2022. The ban affects county-owned beaches and parks. Vaping and smoking medical marijuana are still allowed. The law carries a fine of up to $100 for a first violation. The city of Key West still allows smoking on its beaches, including Smathers. And Key West’s popular Fort Zachary Historic State Park, controlled by the state of Florida, allows smoking outdoors.

    BEACH GUIDE: Where are the secret hangouts in the Florida Keys?

    Nudity

    
A man sits at the concession stand on a stretch of Haulover Beach open to nude bathers.

A man sits at the concession stand on a stretch of Haulover Beach open to nude bathers.

    A man sits at the concession stand on a stretch of Haulover Beach open to nude bathers.

    Nude beach: You can’t take it all off, except at one Miami-Dade County beach. The northernmost stretch of Hauolver in Northeast Miami-Dade, just south of Sunny Isles Beach and north of Surfside and Bal Harbour, has been clothing-optional for more than 30 years. Some hotels in South Beach and Key West allow (or look the other way) topless sunbathing on their private property.

    Background: The Florida Legislature outlawed full nudity at beaches, and the state then tried closing Haulover’s nude beach in 1994. But Miami-Dade commissioners successfully argued that its public beaches fall under “home rule” and the county took on regulating Haulover. So the nude beach continues and thrives.

    Night visits

    Hours: Miami Beach closes its beaches from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Leaders cite the environment and crime. Beaches in Sunny Isles Beach are open sunrise to sunset. Beaches in several cities, including Hollywood and Key Biscayne, are open around the clock, although lifeguards have daytime hours.

    Sleeping: It is illegal to sleep overnight or camp out on public beaches in Florida unless you are at a designated campsite with a permit. Camping spots include Bahia Honda and Long Key state parks in the Florida Keys.

    What you can’t bring to the beach

    Fort Lauderdale beach.Fort Lauderdale beach.

    Fort Lauderdale beach.

    In addition to smoking, Miami Beach bans:

    Narcotics and marijuana

    Large tents, tables or similar structures

    Loud music

    Large coolers

    Glass containers

    Styrofoam and plastic straws

    Can you drink alcohol on the beach?

    Key West spring breakers stop sunbathing long enough to greet a police horse at Smathers Beach.Key West spring breakers stop sunbathing long enough to greet a police horse at Smathers Beach.

    Key West spring breakers stop sunbathing long enough to greet a police horse at Smathers Beach.

    Public laws: Miami Beach and other cities have laws against drinking in public, and the beach is as public as you can get. Several beaches in Central and North Florida permit alcohol on the sand.

    Are pets allowed on the beach?

    Six Miami-Dade beaches are under advisory for high poop levels including Dog Beach Rickenbacker Causeway.Six Miami-Dade beaches are under advisory for high poop levels including Dog Beach Rickenbacker Causeway.

    Six Miami-Dade beaches are under advisory for high poop levels including Dog Beach Rickenbacker Causeway.

    Dog-friendly beaches: Pets are allowed at designated beaches in Miami-Dade County. They include:

    Hobie Beach along the Ricknebacker Causeway near Key Biscayne

    Haulover Park in Northeast Miami-Dade

    North Beach Oceanside Park in Miami Beach, known as “Bark Beach,” 80th to 81st streets.

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  • Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle coasts to 7th term without opposition

    Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle coasts to 7th term without opposition

    The longest-serving state attorney in Miami-Dade County history coasted to a seventh term Friday, when a noon filing deadline passed and no other candidate surfaced.

    Katherine Fernandez Rundle, who was automatically re-elected without opposition, no longer has to concern herself with a possible opponent in November and is expected to be sworn in on Jan. 7.

    Friday’s victory was the first time the political powerhouse — who spent 15 years as a top assistant before replacing legendary Janet Reno — has not had an opponent in the countywide race. In years past, Fernandez Rundle has defeated a series of challengers, including Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Alberto Milian, defense attorney Rod Vareen and former ACLU of Florida deputy director and Florida International University professor Melba Pearson.

    A state database for candidates showed no new challengers had qualified to take her on this year.

    The 73-year-old democrat — who has recently come under fire for the mishandling of a high-profile murder case in which two prosecutors were tossed by a judge — was first appointed to office in 1993 and elected a year later. Though there has been a string of political and law enforcement arrests in recent years, Fernandez Rundle has also been criticized for never having prosecuted a law enforcement officer over a controversial shooting.

    Under her watch, the state attorney’s office has embedded investigators with some police units. They often show up at major crime scenes. State investigators also sit in on interviews for serious crimes — practices unheard of in most other counties.

    Read More: Fernandez Rundle faces mounting criticism over prosecutor conduct

    The state attorney’s office has also created about a dozen investigative task forces, from human trafficking, to gang units to hate crimes, since Fernandez Rundle has taken office.

    But for the first time, Fernandez Rundle could face the unraveling of some, or even all of those units. That’s because for the first time in 57 years, Miami-Dade will have an elected sheriff with the power to scuttle those task forces in November.

    The president of Miami-Dade’s largest police union said he expects little change in the dynamics between the state attorney’s office and police even with a new sheriff. And late last year, Fernanez Rundle said she was optimistic the transition would be smooth and promised to remain focused on crime.

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  • A Miami Home Depot security ‘specialist’ made $260K in tool thefts possible, cops say

    A Miami Home Depot security ‘specialist’ made $260K in tool thefts possible, cops say

    A gang of thieves swiped hundreds of thousands of dollars in tools from Home Depot stores around Miami-Dade County since April of 2023, according to arrest reports. The man who cops say was at the center of making all the thefts possible: a Home Depot loss prevention officer.

    South Miami-Dade resident Lazaro Echevarria was arrested last Thursday along with 44-year-olds Jose Bello-Valdez and Yoannys Montano-Solano after Miami-Dade police say search warrants at two places discovered “1,240 items valued at over $260,000. Some of the items were still in the original packaging.”

    Obviously, the search warrant wouldn’t have included items already sold. Also, that value estimate didn’t count the items used in an alleged side hustle fraud involving refunds.

    The group made another $49,000 by printing out a receipt from a past sale, swiping a matching item from the store with the same UPC code and “returning” the item for the cash value, according to arrest reports.

    All three remained in Miami-Dade Corrections custody as of Wednesday afternoon.

    Echevarria, 37, had the biggest bond, $98,000, after being charged with one count of organized fraud; one count of unlawful use of a communications device; six counts of dealing in stolen property; six counts of petit theft; and 17 counts of thrid degree grand theft. He’s pleaded not guilty.

    Home Depot said Echevarria has been fired, but wouldn’t say how long he’d been working for the company nor confirm any of his positions held.

    Bello, a Hialeah resident, received a $85,500 bond after being charged with one count of organized fraud; one count of unlawful use of a communications device; five counts of dealing in stolen property; six counts of petit theft; and 15 counts of third degree grand theft.

    South Miami-Dade’s Montano, alleged to be the seller of stolen goods on Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp, faces one count of organized fraud; one count of third degree grand theft; one count of unlawful use of a communications device; and 11 counts of dealing in stolen property. His bond is $82,500.

    An “unidentified white male” also joined the group, police said.

    As described in arrest reports, their scheme for hitting Home Depot locations in Kendall (15750 SW 88th St), West Miami-Dade (11305 Bird Rd.) and Hialeah (1590 W. 49th St.) started with Echevarria, a Home Depot “asset protection specialist.”

    Detectives say Echevarria “facilitated the thefts by opening locked tool cabinets; most likely, furnishing keys and/or combinations to the tool cabinets; and staged various items to be later stolen” such as putting them in predetermined places.

    “Once the thefts concluded, he would leave the store still on shift to sell the stolen items.”

    Once, the “asset protection specialist” had to protect his partner, an arrest report noted, when a sharp-eyed senior citizen in a Kendall parking lot almost got everyone caught five months ago.

    READ MORE: Miami Beach, Miami and Orlando men defrauded Home Depots of $100,000, investigators say

    Stolen tools, a black Chevy and Home Depot

    Bello-Valdez strolled into the aforementioned Home Depot in Kendall at around 10:40 a.m. on Nov. 3 and went to the gift center. He picked out tool combination sets from Dewalt and Milwaukee and put them in an empty box on a flatbed cart. Bello-Valdez strolled into the parking lot with the tool sets without pausing to pay.

    An “elderly male customer” told store management he saw this. Store management told their asset protection specialist — Echevarria.

    Meanwhile, Bello-Valdez was putting the stolen tool kits into the a black Chevrolet SUV when an off-duty Miami-Dade officer came over to him, before he ran towards the nearby Walmart “leaving his vehicle abandoned.”

    Bello-Valdez got away and “Echevarria, who was working and present at the time, had no choice but to generate an internal incident report. But he never filed a police report with Miami-Dade police despite finding 19 Dewalt Atomic 20-volt cordless combination kits; five Milwaukee M18 Fuel 120 mph Handheld Blower Kit; four Milwaukee M18 fuel hatchet pruning saws; a 20-volt Max 23 Gauge Pin Nailer Kit; and one Kitchen Cabinet.” Total value: $6,250.

    “The incident was captured on closed circuit TV,” the arrest report said. “Echevarria’s report is not consistent with what occurred during the incident.”

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  • Florida Democrats remove the Miami-Dade party chair, and one other, after suspensions

    Florida Democrats remove the Miami-Dade party chair, and one other, after suspensions

    Florida Democrats on Sunday voted to permanently oust Miami-Dade Democratic Party Chairman Robert Dempster from his post, according to four people familiar with the matter.

    The decision came after roughly five hours of deliberations by the party’s central committee, according to two people who were at the meeting. Eighty-three of the central committee’s 122 members cast their votes in favor of removing Dempster, who has helmed the Miami-Dade County Democratic Party since 2021. Party rules require a two-thirds vote to remove a county chair.

    Nikki Fried, the chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party, suspended Dempster earlier this month — citing repeated violations of the state party’s rules and bylaws. At the time, Fried cast the decision as part of a strategy to “get our local parties back on track” following poor electoral performances and infighting among party members.

    At the same time she suspended Dempster, Fried also moved to suspend Palm Beach County Democratic Party Chair Mindy Koch and Franklin County Democratic Party Chair Carol Barfield. According to Fried, Koch failed to cancel contracts that weren’t approved by the Democratic executive committee, while Barfield’s party was allegedly missing a membership list and financial audits from 2022.

    In a statement, Fried said that her goal was to “get these local parties fully operational and back on track,” and argued that Sunday’s votes were a step in the right direction.

    “We need our local parties to register voters, recruit candidates and raise money to ensure that we’re competitive in 2024 and beyond,” Fried said. “Just like every other day, I will continue to work with all Florida Democrats to take back Florida and win elections in November.”

    The state Democratic Party central committee voted to remove Barfield on Sunday, the sources said. The vote to remove Koch failed; she’ll be reinstated to her job.

    ‘An embarrassing waste of time’

    Dempster declined to comment on the vote. However, Thomas Kennedy, a Dempster ally and former Florida Democratic National Committee member, called the chairman’s removal a distraction from more pressing issues facing Florida Democrats.

    “Just an embarrassing waste of time for a party that has a 876,000 voter registration deficit against Republicans in the state,” Kennedy said. “You’d think they would spend time talking to voters like me that have switched to [no party affiliation].”

    In her initial letter suspending Dempster, Fried outlined several complaints about the Miami-Dade party, including failing to reach a quorum at its meetings, endorsing candidates without having the requisite number of district committee positions filled and having outdated membership rolls that included several people that no longer live in Miami-Dade County.

    Dempster and his allies decried the suspension as an unjust punishment that would only further set back the party as it looks to rebuild itself after years of financial struggles and internal turmoil.

    They noted the Miami-Dade Democratic Party was told only a few months earlier that it was in compliance with party rules, and argued the bylaws Dempster was accused of violating amounted to only minor infractions.

    Since Dempster’s suspension, the Miami-Dade party has been led by acting Chairwoman María Elena López, who issued a scathing statement earlier this month accusing Fried and the state Democratic Party of effectively doing nothing to help the county party and falling short of their promise to fund initiatives like voter registration efforts.

    “Chairwoman Fried, I strongly object to the recent press statements and actions by the FDP questioning our leadership and execution. I strongly object to the suspension of our Chair, and demand his timely reinstatement,” López said. “Time is of the essence.”

    Dempster’s removal on Sunday creates a vacancy in the office that Miami-Dade Democrats will have to work quickly to fill – especially with elections just months away.

    A special election to replace him will have to take place within 45 days.

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