The Mayor of North Miami Beach, Anthony DeFillipo, was taken into custody last week and is now facing three serious charges related to voter fraud. If found guilty on all counts, he could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison. According to Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, DeFillipo cast his vote in a North Miami Beach district despite no longer residing in that particular area.
“We believe the evidence shows DeFillipo voted illegally three times. Deliberately swearing to false information as alleged in this case eats at the credibility of our voting and electoral systems.”
The arrest of DeFillipo has been labeled by his attorney, Michael Pizzi, as a politically motivated action. DeFillipo has repeatedly stated, both in sworn testimony and on multiple occasions, that his intention was always to live in North Miami Beach and that he did indeed reside there. The mayor’s political opponents, along with their campaign workers, filed a complaint with the ethics commission alleging that DeFillipo was not living in North Miami Beach.
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
North Miami Beach Mayor Anthony DeFillipo (D) has been charged with 3 third-degrees felonies for allegedly illegally voting in 3 elections. He's the 3rd North Miami Beach mayor to be arrested in 11 years.https://t.co/CZgPwesc8F
— RRH Elections (@RRHElections) June 2, 2023
In a statement, David F. Jeannot, the spokesperson for North Miami Beach, expressed the following, “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.”
He continued, “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.”
