A Miami police officer was accused of intimidating the electorate at an early voting station, where he photographed him dressed in a 2020 Trump uniform and face mask. Action.
Steve Simeonidis, chairman of the Miami-Dade Democrats, tweeted a photo of the officer Tuesday while he was in an internal polling station at the Stephen P. Clark Government Center in Miami. The photo shows the officer in full uniform, adding her badge and weapon: dressed in a coronavirus mask that appears to say More under the Trump 2020 logo.
Simeonidis called the incident “city-funded voter intimidation” and said the officer would be immediately suspended.
The badge on the officer’s uniform seen in the photo reads “Abeda,” but the Miami Police Department hasn’t shown the officer’s identity to CBS News. The branch said it is investigating the incident, but did not specify what punishment the officer might face.
“We are aware of the photograph of a Miami police officer dressed in a uniformed political mask,” the branch tweeted Tuesday. “This behavior is unacceptable, a violation of branch policy, and is addressed immediately. “
It’s city-funded voter intimidation.
Ebeda will have to be suspended immediately. Pic. twitter. com / TbJxu6mcem
According to Miami Police Department policies, officials “should not interfere with or use the influence of their workplace for political reasons, and should not engage in any political activity” while working.
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez condemned the officer’s movements just one day after a press conference so there would be no intimidation of voters at the ballot box.
“I spoke to [Miami police chief Jorge Colina] and we agree that the officer’s habit is unacceptable,” Suarez said Tuesday. “It’s a violation of departmental policy. It is under investigation and disciplinary action will be taken. “
Officials showed that the officer was voting early and not on duty; Officers can vote in uniform, but they can’t wear anything affiliated with a political party.
“You may not see anyone in military uniform or uniform because it’s illegal, you might not see an open port at a polling station because it’s illegal,” Miami Commissioner Ken Russell said at Monday’s press convention before the incident. The police “will have no visual presence because this in itself can be interpreted by some as intimidating. Therefore, the police will not be in the electoral college in uniform. “
Russell told CBS Miami that all government workers received reminders Tuesday that they do not participate in any political activity while on duty.
The crusade for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden published a Wednesday addressing “ongoing Florida tactics” for intimate voters.
“In the United States of America, we cannot and will not tolerate any habit that can simply intimidate the electorate from participating in our democracy,” Carlie Waibel, Florida President’s communications director, told CBS Miami. freedom and democracy, and those scare tactics have no position in our state. It is transparent that those who run out of concern will see anything in the final weeks of the election. There’s no excuse for this habit. We are committed to making sure that each and every Floridan can vote and that each and every vote is counted. “