Mayor arrested for illegal voting, facing three felonies.

Democratic Mayor Arrested, Facing Three Felonies for Alleged Illegal Voting

A complaint has been filed against North Miami Beach Mayor Anthony DeFillipo, accusing him of not living in the community of which he is mayor. The Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics & Public Trust has charged DeFillipo with three counts of voter fraud, which is a violation of the North Miami Beach city charter that requires elected officials to live in the city.

Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle has stated that cell phone data tracked DeFillipo’s on three occasions when he drove from Davie to North Miami Beach to vote in elections held in August, October, and November. “It wasn’t as if, ‘Oops, I forgot once.’ This is three times in rapid succession,” she said.

We in law enforcement take actions which violate our election laws very seriously. They are crimes. Today, we are charging Anthony DeFillipo, the present Mayor ⁦@NorthMiamiBeach⁩, with 3 counts of Unqualified Voters Willfully Voting, 3rd degree felonies. pic.twitter.com/pUICntyegS

— Kathy Rundle (@KathyFndzRundle) May 31, 2023

DeFillipo had told WTVJ-TV that his voting trips were an inadvertent mistake. However, Rundle does not agree. “We believe the evidence shows (DeFillipo) voted illegally three times,” she said, adding. “Our voting laws apply to everyone. There are no unwritten exceptions.”

DeFillipo’s attorney Michael Pizzi, disputed the charges against the mayor. “The mayor has explained over and over again, and under oath, he always intended to and always lived in North Miami Beach,” Pizzi said, according to CBS.

The voter fraud charges are felonies that carry a sentence of up to five years in prison. DeFillipo is the third North Miami Beach city official arrested in a matter of weeks. Two city officials were accused of stealing Publix gift cards intended for a giveaway by the city to its residents.

City Government’s Response

A representative of the city government said it will wait until the disposition of the charges before taking any action. “Following the news conference by State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, the City of North Miami Beach will watch closely as the legal process runs its course,” North Miami Beach representative David F. Jeannot said in a statement, according to WTVJ.

“To rebuild trust in this community is no small feat. However, we are focused on earning your confidence back. NMB is a resilient community, and together we will emerge stronger from this. We thank you for your continued support as we work towards a more transparent and accountable city government,” the statement said.