Coral Gables says there is a ‘criminal investigation’ into recall canvassing effort

Tess Riski
·2 min read
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Law enforcement is investigating the canvassing effort for the recall of the Coral Gables mayor, according to the city.

In response to a media outlet’s request for body-camera footage of police interacting with canvassers collecting signatures in an effort to recall Mayor Vince Lago, city spokeswoman Martha Pantin said the city is unable to turn over the records because “there is currently a criminal investigation.” She said the city has provided the records to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). Pantin did not provide more details.

Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Lissette Valdes-Valle confirmed in an email Friday evening that the office has received the records and is “looking at it with FDLE.”

The FDLE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The news lands hours after the End the Corruption political committee, which is behind the recall effort, submitted petition signatures to the city clerk’s office. City Clerk Billy Urquia tallied 1,719 petitions in an initial Friday night count. The group needs 1,650 verified signatures from registered voters to advance to the next stage in the process. The signatures will now go to the county Elections Division for verification.

David Winker, the registered agent for End the Corruption, said he had not been notified of an investigation and said he suspects Lago filed a complaint to law enforcement.

“No one affiliated with the recall has received any inquiry from law enforcement,” Winker said. He added: “I welcome any investigation because everything about the recall is being done in full compliance with the law.”

During a brisk conversation with reporters outside his office Friday afternoon, Lago did not respond to a question about whether he had asked law enforcement to investigate the canvassers. But in a statement, he took aim at the canvassing effort.

“These pay-to-play interests are falsely portraying the recall as a resident-driven process, but the reality is far from that,” Lago said. “Our residents were misled and deceived by illegally paid canvassers who used questionable tactics, false narratives, and outright defamatory accusations against our elected officials and me in particular. This manipulation of residents undermines the integrity of the entire process.”