Ayala blasted by her former inner circle
Ex-members of team say Barra was ‘de facto state attorney’
Aramis Ayala’s decision to un-endorse second-in-command Deborah Barra’s bid to replace her as Orlando’s top prosecutor has drawn backlash from former members of Ayala’s inner circle, who called her explanation for the decision “misleading and disingenuous” Friday — and said Barra is already the “de facto state attorney.”
The onetime members of Ayala’s executive team, who support Barra’s campaign, include the state attorney’s ex-spokeswoman Eryka Washington and two former deputy chief assistant state attorneys, Josephine Colón and Harold V. Bennett III.
“Deb Barra filled the role of State Attorney during Ayala’s continuous and frequent absences from the office,” the former employees wrote in a statement provided to the Orlando Sentinel. “... The three of us left our executive positions because we could no longer tolerate the way Aramis
Ayala abused her power and position to inflate her own personal image at the detriment to the office and the community.”
Ayala dismissed their allegations in a blistering response Friday.
“I respect the right for anyone to express their opinion, even when biased, emotionally driven and factually flawed,” she said. “But to suggest an abuse of power is not only ridiculous, it is asinine.”
Barra said she did not want to comment on the statement.
“The three of us made that decision,” Washington said regarding the release of the statement. “We did not tell Deb.”
Ayala, who is not running for a second term, officially pulled her support from Barra on Tuesday and endorsed another candidate in the Democratic primary: Monique Worrell.
Ayala said Worrell’s vision for the office was more aligned with hers.
Worrell, a friend of Ayala’s who once led her Conviction Integrity Unit, had not yet entered the race when Ayala endorsed Barra.