Judicial races are different, everybody says. They are more civil. They aren’t as vitriolic as state or county races in South Florida, where candidates are “communists” and investigations are exaggerated or made up altogether.
Well, maybe they were different — before Renier Diaz de la Portilla decided to run against an incumbent non-Hispanic judge.
Read related: Candidate Renier Diaz de la Portilla doesn’t meet judicial canon standards
This week, at the same time as the absentee ballots dropped, two mailers arrived in mailboxes aimed at taking out Miami-Dade County Judge Fred Seraphin, the first Haitian American judge to be appointed to the county court.
The one about his refusal to let a female attorney take breaks during a trial to pump breast milk is bad enough, even though Seraphin has owned up to and apologized for what he says was his mistake. He is known to be cranky. He admits it. But misogynist? Is that just another word one can use when you can’t call your opponent a communist?
The really bad one is the one that mentions his arrest for armed robbery in New York. That was a false arrest that became as Seraphin has repeatedly said, the reason why he studied law and wanted to be a judge. Key word: False.
Diaz de la Portilla knows this. He has heard the story at forums. But he doesn’t care. This provides him with an opportunity to mislead voters, which is the only thing he can do since he has lost the last three elections and can’t win on his merits.
Read related: Renier Diaz de la Portilla raises judicial race funds from big bro’s city interests
These mailers would be completely against the judicial canons for campaigning. But because it’s under the guise of a political action committee and not Renier’s judicial campaign account, it may not be officially a violation.
It should be. It’s not like we don’t know who is behind it.
Both were paid for by Proven Leadership for Miami-Dade County, which is the political committee that belongs to Renier’s brother, Miami Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla.
It’s the same PAC that tried to help Baby DLP with his failed county commission race two years ago, calling Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins a communist. Well, he couldn’t call her a misogynist.
They only have one playbook.
The last reported contribution to the Proven Leadership PAC was $25,000 in November of last year from a company owned by Jorge Mas, who also gave $50,000 in October because he was buying a yes vote on the Miami Freedom Park deal. The last report is only through July 15, however, so there may be more funds to report from the last 10 days.
Either way, this is exactly the kind of dirty political trick we can expect from the Diaz de la Portilla clan and exactly the reason why Renier should never wear the robe.
Renier Diaz de la Portilla uses brother’s PAC to attack with lie in judicial race added by Ladra on
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