Miami Mayor Francis Suarez under state ethics investigation, reports say
MIAMI - Miami Mayor Francis Suarez is reportedly under a state ethics investigation after a complaint was filed that he accepted pricey tickets to splashy events - like the Miami Formula One Grand Prix and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The complaint to the Florida Ethics Commission was filed by activist Thomas Kennedy. In it, he raised questions about who paid for the tickets, worth thousands of dollars, and whether Suarez followed state law which requires the mayor to disclose the source of all gifts valued at more than $100.
State law bars elected officials from accepting such gifts from city vendors, lobbyists, or their employers.
Kennedy acknowledged filing the complaint.
"I'm glad that they're, you know, apparently taking the matter seriously," he told CBS News Miami Thursday, providing us with an email from the commission's clerk that says the current complaint status was "pending investigation.
The email shows that the agency is in the process of appointing an investigator to this case.
"What we need from the mayor is an answer as to whether he has repaid these tickets, right?" Kennedy said. "Which he claims he has."
The complaint alleges that Suarez did not file a gift disclosure for his Formula 1 VIP access passes last year, as would be required if anyone other than the city or a family member paid. according to the Miami Herald, which first reported the probe.
Photos from May's F1 event show Suarez wearing passes granting access to the Paddock Club on May 5-7.
Florida ethics laws require elected officials to disclose the source of all gifts valued over $100. Regulations also ban accepting gifts from city vendors, lobbyists or their employers.
The complaint also states the same was true about his trip to Qatar for the World Cup where he was pictured with David Beckham in a luxury box.
Beckham is a registered lobbyist for his Major League Soccer stadium that will be built on city land.
Kennedy filed the same complaint with the county ethics commission but the case was dismissed on September 15th, according to the Miami Herald. The county code states the person making the complaint must have substantial personal knowledge of the alleged violation. State ethics rules contain no such requirement. State ethics investigators will now conduct interviews to see who or what paid for the tickets.
CBS News Miami reporter Joe Gorchow contributed to this report along with The Miami Herald.