Miami mayor’s spokesman resigns amid police investigation into ‘personal misconduct’
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez’s chief spokesman, former television reporter Rene Pedrosa, resigned Tuesday after admitting to the mayor that he was being investigated by police for “personal misconduct.”
By late Tuesday afternoon Pedrosa had not been arrested or charged with any crime, according to Miami police. It wasn’t immediately clear why Pedrosa was being investigated.
Suarez met with Pedrosa on Tuesday morning at City Hall in Coconut Grove. The mayor said he asked for Pedrosa’s resignation after his communications chief admitted to the inquiry.
“Rene admitted to me that he is being investigated for personal misconduct,” said Suarez, in a statement to the Miami Herald. “I addressed these allegations with him directly and asked him to resign. We take these matters seriously and will allow the investigation to take its course.”
Suarez declined to go into more detail. Pedrosa did not immediately respond to texts or phone calls. Police served a search warrant on Pedrosa’s home last week; the document remained sealed on Tuesday, according to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.
One source with knowledge of the probe told the Miami Herald that Pedrosa is being investigated on allegations of transmitting pornography to a minor.
Law enforcement officers questioned Pedrosa last week, sources said. At about the same time he took a personal leave and has been absent from the mayor’s office since.
Pedrosa, 48, spent years as a news reporter at América TeVé-Channel 41, a Spanish-language television station based out of Hialeah Gardens. He reported on topics ranging from federal courts to local government.
In early 2019, Suarez hired Pedrosa to serve as his communications director. In that role, Pedrosa often spoke on the mayor’s behalf, promoting the mayor’s initiatives or dealing with controversy, particularly on Spanish-language radio. He was seen as a vocal representative for Suarez who also provided policy advice.
This story was originally published February 4, 2020 at 5:03 PM.
