N. Miami Mayoral Candidate Fights Back After Signs Vandalized

NORTH MIAMI (CBS4)- After her campaign signs were destroyed, one North Miami mayoral candidate decided to take matters into her own hands.

Carol Keys, a North Miami activist and lawyer, who is running for mayor of North Miami turned the tables after her campaign signs were vandalized.

"There were 17 signs," Keys said. "They destroyed 17 of my large billboards throughout the city and the ones they did not destroy was because they could not get to them. A couple of them were behind a fence and one was under a camera."

But instead of replacing her signs, Keys posted a sign over her vandalized sign that read, 'Do you want the criminals who did this running North Miami?' The message was followed by 'Elect Carol Keys For Mayor Of North Miami.'

Keys said the vandals cut two big holes with a box cutter.

She said when she heard of the news she drove around.

"I was told by a friend Friday morning that one of my signs was cut," she said. "I started driving around to all my signs and saw that every one of them were cut that morning."

The mayoral race will be decided on May 10, 2011.

Keys is running against the city's current Mayor Andre Pierre and Jacques Despinosse.

With elections in May, Keys raised $46,850 as of Jan. 10, 2011, but $35,000 in her campaign chest she loaned to herself. Incumbent Pierre raised $23,300. While Despinosse raised $1,500, including $1,200 in personal loans.

A report released Monday unveiled details surrounding the arrest of  Pierre's campaign manager, according to CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested Ricardo Brutus, 31, Friday morning after he was caught on camera accepting a $4,000 payment to influence a vote.

According to the arrest report, Brutus was caught on audio and video asking for cash to sway a vote while talking to an unnamed FDLE undercover informant

As the race continues, all candidates are vying for the winning spot, getting the word out about their campaign and posting more signs.

Last week, all candidates claimed that their signs were disappearing, according to the Herald. It's not uncommon during election season for campaign signs to vanish, the Herald reported.  Sometimes property owners remove signs placed without their consent or city code-enforcement officers remove signs that are affixed on the public right of way.

"The first time I put up 20 signs and within less than a week they were removed," Keys said. "They actually took the lumber they were sitting on. This time they cut holes in them and quickly left."

All of the candidates said they are victims and had nothing to do with the disappearance of their opponents' signs.

But Keys said she knows who is doing this, and "they" know as well.

"When I say 'they' …there are special interest groups in our city who want to stay in the city. They know who they are, as do the citizens," she said.

She said "they don't want people to know that there are other candidates out there."

Keys, who said that she meets with as many voters as possible, said the goal of the move to destroy her signs was to prevent her from getting exposure.

"I was angry that they are trying to suppress my voice," she said. "They're afraid that I'm a viable candidate and they don't want people to see my face or my office."