A candidate running for Miami Beach City Commission is the daughter of a serial killer who was executed in 2012, according to multiple reports.
Monique Pardo Pope is the daughter of Manuel Pardo, who was convicted of murdering nine people, WLRN and Florida Phoenix reported.
Pardo Pope said in a statement posted to Instagram in September, “I have not hidden who I am. From the beginning, I referenced myself as Monique Pardo Pope. My world was turned upside down when I was four years old because of the actions of my father. What he did was terrible, and I lost my father as a result.”
The statement does not name Pardo directly. Newsweek reached out to Pardo Pope for comment.
Why It Matters
Pardo Pope, an attorney specializing in family law, is running against Monica Matteo-Salinas, who served as a Commission Aide to two different Miami Beach Commissioners. The two are facing off in a runoff election after they received the most votes in a six-way general election in November, the Miami Herald reported. Matteo-Salinas received 23 percent of the vote, and Pardo Pope received 20 percent.
Pardo was found guilty of killing six men and three women over a 92-day period in early 1986. He was linked to the killings after using credit cards stolen from the victims. Before Pardo’s execution, his attorneys argued that he was mentally ill.
Pardo Pope said in the September statement, “The courts found my father to be mentally ill due to health problems. I went through a long period of anger and bitterness, struggling to understand how the man I loved could commit such a crime.”
What To Know
Billy Corben, a South Florida filmmaker, spoke about the connection in a September 25 Instagram post. When asked to respond to the post by the Miami New Times, Pardo Pope said, “Billy Corben has made a career of slinging mud, which has even resulted in losing a defamation case.”
Corben, who had not lost a defamation case, filed a complaint against Pardo Pope for alleged defamation, the Florida Phoenix reported.
The Florida Bar filed a notice of grievance procedures, which states Pardo Pope must respond by December 10, according to the document obtained by the outlet.
Newsweek reached out to the Florida Bar for comment.
Pardo Pope said in the September statement, “I am confident that voters will look past the sins of my father and understand that I too am a victim in this. These attacks on me are appalling and show exactly what’s wrong with politics today. I was four years old. I did not commit a crime.”
What People Are Saying
Florida Bar, in a notice of grievance procedures addressed to Pardo Pope, obtained the Florida Phoenix: “If the grievance committee finds probable cause, formal adversarial proceedings, which ordinarily lead to disposition by the Supreme Court of Florida, will be commenced … unless a plea is submitted.”
Monique Pardo Pope, Miami Beach City Commission candidate, in a statement in September: “My campaign is about who I am today: a mother, an attorney, a small business owner, and someone committed to building a safer, stronger, more compassionate Miami Beach. My father’s actions shaped my childhood, but they do not define who I am or the values I bring to this city. I stand on my own record of service, resilience, and dedication, and I hope voters will judge me by that.”
What Happens Next
The election will be held on December 9.
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