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Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar poses with Council Members Fernando Vazquez, Mike Brakcen, Mayor Joe Rasco, and Village Manager Steve Williamson (KBI via Village of Key Biscayne)<\/p>\nDemocrats accused the Village of Key Biscayne of raising \u201creal ethical questions\u201d after\u00a0 official government Instagram posts publicized\u00a0 two Republican lawmakers 40 days before the Nov. 3 election.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Key Biscayne government operates multiple social media accounts at taxpayer expense. The Village\u2019s main Instagram account featured a joint post with U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, who was standing next to\u00a0 Key Biscayne Mayor Joe Rasco and Vice Mayor Oscar Sardi\u00f1as\u00a0 holding a $2 million check on Sept. 10, outside Village Hall. <\/p>\n
The post touted funding for stormwater infrastructure allocated for the island. The Village\u2019s account posted a video reel of her explaining the funding as well on Sept. 16.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar poses with Council Members Fernando Vazquez, Mike Brakcen, Mayor Joe Rasco, and Village Manager Steve Williamson (KBI via Village of Key Biscayne)<\/p>\n
A few days later, the Key Biscayne Police Department Instagram account posted a photo promoting GOP state Sen. Alexis Calatayud in a\u00a0 \u201cCoffee with a Cop\u201d event that occurred on Sept. 15. The post said \u201cJoin us for coffee, conversation, and community.\u201d Calatayud has held two \u201cCoffee with a Cop\u201d events in Pinecrest and Palmetto Bay. It was followed by a video \u2014 complete with music \u2014 showing the senator with multiple officers in uniform.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Democrat Richard Lamondin is running to unseat Calatayud. Campaign Manager Manny Orozco said the \u201cCoffee with a Cop\u201d event was an instance of Calatayud using \u201cher official capacity as a way to build campaign visibility,\u201d and told Sousa about his concerns.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWith two months left before a highly contested general election, events that closely tie a sitting officeholder\u2019s name, seal, and personal image to local police branding raise real ethical questions about the line between official duties and campaign activity,\u201d Orozco said.<\/p>\n
While stopping short of alleging any wrongdoing, the campaign said the Senator\u2019s intent and the Village\u2019s cooperation is clear. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe think it\u2019s fair to ask whether that line is being respected as Election Day quickly approaches.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018This was not a real conversation place\u2019<\/p>\n
Jackie Kellogg, leader of the Key Biscayne Democrats, went to the \u201cCoffee with a Cop\u201d event to try to talk with Calatayud. Kellogg said there were roughly 10 officers who acted friendly towards her, but left after the Senator \u201cturned her back\u201d and walked away.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was not a real conversation place. This was just basically to show that -or implies- that the police department supports her,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Kellogg said she would be less skeptical of the event if Calatayud had held \u201cCoffee with a Cop\u201d events twice a year outside campaign season, or if she scheduled events on other topics, such as development and immigration.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She said Calatayud was \u201ctaking advantage of everything possible to imply that the police, the fire, the village manager, the mayor, everybody supports her \u2014 which can give voters the impression of like \u2018 I guess if they support her, then it must be fine.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Orozco said the Police Department told his team that Calatayud\u2019s office reached out to them to participate in the \u201cCoffee with a Cop\u201d event and they approved it, intending to educate the community on police-related issues, but that it is not an endorsement of her campaign. The South Florida Police Benevolent Association, the union representing Key Biscayne police, has endorsed Calatayud.<\/p>\n
Orozco said his team has not tried to arrange anything similar with any police department, as Florida law restricts public officials and taxpayer-funded time from being used to support or coordinate with a political campaign.<\/p>\n
Village of Key Biscayne lacks transparent social media protocol\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Independent asked Village officials if there is any policy or protocol about use of taxpayer-funded social media featuring political candidates. <\/p>\n
Village Manager Steve Williamson said the Village works with legislators on \u201ca regular basis to advocate and pursue the interests of the Village.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n
In an email, Calatayud aide Steven Santos said the senator \u201cregularly meets with law enforcement officers throughout Senate District 38 as part of her ongoing engagement with the communities she represents.\u201d<\/p>\n
Florida law mandates disclosures on paid political advertisements. Local government accounts are also<\/a> prohibited from promoting political candidates. <\/p>\n
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