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Miami city commissioners are ‘on the clock’ to appoint a new member to their panel, following the second suspension of embattled pol Michelle Spence-Jones.
The chairman of the commission has set a special meeting for Tuesday so they can appoint a person to the district five seat, occupied twice by Spence-Jones in the past few months.
According to the city charter, a commissioner must be appointed by midnight Tuesday.
A Miami-Dade judge ruled last week to uphold Gov. Charlie Crist's decision to suspend Spence-Jones. She is suing the governor, hoping to overturn his order. A hearing is set for Feb. 12.
Crist booted Spence-Jones amid allegations she used $50,000 in public money to help fund her family's restaurant and spa businesses. The first suspension came in November, when Spence-Jones turned herself in to authorities to face charges of grand theft. The second suspension came after Spence-Jones won back her seat in a special election earlier this month.
Voters in District 5 overwhelmingly support her, despite the allegations, a point the South Florida ACLU apparently thinks is relevant: they're now backing the strong-willed commissioner.
"The Governor is trampling on the rights of voters who elected Spence-Jones back into office with full knowledge of the charges against her. She is innocent until proven guilty," Muslima Lewis, with the ACLU, told the Miami Herald last week. "This is a first-of-its kind abuse of power by a Florida governor."
"I think it would be great if they sent a positive message to the community that we are going to at least respect the voters and hold off on their appointment," Spence-Jones said after a recent court appearance.
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Spence-Jones has steadfastly maintained her innocence from the beginning.
