Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the suspension of Miami-Dade County District 11 Commissioner Joe Martinez after he was arrested on corruption charges last month.
Martinez was charged with a single count of unlawful compensation and a single count of conspiracy to commit unlawful compensation on Aug. 30 after being accused of accepting money from a store to support legislation that would benefit the store owner’s business.
MIAMI-DADE COMMISSIONER HIT WITH CORRUPTION CHARGES FOLLOWING ARREST
“Jose Angel Martinez is prohibited from performing any official act, duty, or function of public office; from receiving any pay or allowance; and from being entitled to any of the emoluments or privileges of public office during the period of this suspension, which period shall be from today, until further Executive Order is issued, or as otherwise provided by law,” DeSantis’s executive order said.
DeSantis is suspending Martinez based on a provision in the state constitution allowing the governor to suspend county officers who commit felonies.
“It is in the best interest of the residents of Miami-Dade County that Martinez be immediately suspended from the public office that he holds. The Governor will appoint a commissioner to fill the District 11 seat in the coming weeks,” Taryn Fenske, director of communications for the governor, said in a press release.
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Martinez previously served as county commissioner for the district from 2000-2012 before filling the role again in 2016. He also unsuccessfully ran for the Republican nomination for the state’s 26th Congressional District in 2014.
