Prosecutors will ‘review’ probe of Miami cop’s pro-Trump mask
The office of MiamiDade’s top prosecutor on Thursday said it will “review” the outcome of a police investigation into the Miami officer who wore a pro-Trump mask while in uniform at an early voting site.
State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, in a statement on Thursday, echoed the Miami police chief in calling the mask “unacceptable.”
“Wearing one’s police uniform at a voting site while expressing a political opinion may be construed as an official attempt to send a distinct message to potential voters,” Fernandez Rundle said in the statement.
Fernandez Rundle, a Democrat who won reelection in August, issued the statement two days after Officer Daniel Ubeda sparked outrage by wearing the mask while he waited in line to early vote at MiamiDade’s Government Center.
He was spotted by Steve Simeonidis, who is the chair of Miami-Dade’s Democratic Party and took a photo of Ubeda. Simeonidis tweeted the photo — which quickly went viral and garnered national headlines
— while saying the mask violated a state law prohibiting public employees from using their “official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with an election ... or coercing or influencing another person’s vote.”
Miami’s police chief and mayor said Ubeda would be disciplined for breaking department policies.
On Thursday, Fernandez Rundle also said she asked her
“staff to look into this matter,” a vague statement that left it unclear whether it was a full-blown criminal investigation.
Asked for a clarification, a State Attorney’s spokesman said: “The City of Miami IA is investigating the matter. We [will] collaborate with them during their investigation and we will review their findings once the investigation is complete.”
Proving a criminal charge might be challenging, however, especially if no actual voters complain that Ubeda’s appearance intimidated them.
Miami’s police union says Ubeda was expressing his right to free speech, and that Ubeda is allowed to vote while in uniform.