MIAMI – The Florida Democratic Party is calling on Miami Mayor Francis Suarez to resign after another Miami Herald report raised questions about whether he leveraged his city position to benefit a private employer.
The story, headlined “Miami mayor pushed for no-bid city contract benefiting his private employer’s partner,” was published in the newspaper on Tuesday.
It’s the latest in a series of reports from the newspaper questioning how the mayor’s ties to businesses and foreign governments have interfaced with his official duties. Suarez has continued to deny any wrongdoing, but he’s yet to provide detailed answers in response to the reports.
He abruptly ended an interview with Local 10 News reporter Glenna Milberg Tuesday after being pressed about details in the latest article.
Now, Democrats want Suarez, a registered Republican, to step down.
“As a native of Miami, it’s heartbreaking to see the city continue to be a hotbed for political corruption,” party chair Nikki Fried said in a statement. “I wanted to have hope in Francis Suarez and his ability to rise above the mess of Miami politics for the sake of the city. Unfortunately, he’s turned out like so many other Miami Republicans — only in it for himself, with no regard for the well-being of the people of Miami.”
She continued, “Francis Suarez repeatedly used his public office for private gain, and has somehow escaped consequences to this point. His actions are a gross violation of the public trust, and the Florida Democratic Party is calling for his immediate resignation.”
The latest call for a resignation comes in spite of a past history of bipartisan support for the mayor, despite his ties to the GOP. Suarez also faced calls to resign in December following a previous Herald report.
Suarez has, in the past, criticized former President Donald Trump and supported Democrats like the party’s 2016 nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Fried called on Gov. Ron DeSantis to suspend Suarez if he doesn’t resign.
“I have no doubt that if Mayor Suarez was a Democrat, he would have been removed from office several scandals ago,” Fried said in part.
That, however, is unlikely, because Suarez has not been charged with any crimes.
However, the Herald has previously reported that Suarez is being looked into by the FBI for ties to a local developer.
Local 10 News is reaching out to Suarez’s office seeking a response to Fried and the Democratic Party.