Of all the lame excuses, and outright lies, told by North Miami Beach Councilcritter Frantz Pierre, a/k/a Weasel, the one he told the press yesterday really takes the cake!

But the good news is that thanks to a brave young woman who refused to back down from the town bully, the whole world now knows that Frantz Pierre thinks he’s above the law.  Someone give that woman the Employee of the Year Award!

On Thursday, Code Enforcement Officer Tasheema Lewis attempted to serve Frantzie two Notices of Violation at the home located at 2120 NE 171 Street, North Miami Beach, Florida 33162.  Both were originally served on February 25, 2015, and a subsequent inspection done on March 13, 2015 reveals that he “failed to comply.”  One violation was for a “derelict vehicle” and one for “fence maintenance.”  Ms. Lewis attempted to serve final Notices of Violation, advising Frantzie that he had to appear before the Code Enforcement Board on May 14, 2015.

The illegal campaign sign is only the latest code violation, which has yet to be cited.

In an email dated Thursday, April 30, 2015, Ms. Lewis informed her supervisor Candido Sosa-Cruz that when she went to Pierre’s house to serve the notices that she was ignored.  When she attempted to post the notices on the house, Frantz and his spouse “aggressively” approached her and told her that if she wanted to keep her job to remove the violations because he was a Councilman!

This is not the first time Frantz has abused his power.

On September 28, 2011, Frantz Pierre retaliated against a city employee for supporting his opponent during a city council election.  In retaliation, Frantz accused employee Jean Pompee of plotting to “plant drugs in his office.”  An investigation was initiated, and according to the Internal Affairs Report, he also accused Leisure Services Director Paulette Murphy of conspiring with Pompee.  The investigation concluded that there was no evidence to back up Frantzie’s delusional claims.

But, wait!  There’s more!

On April 4, 2012, an Internal Affairs Report revealed that Frantz attempted to intimidate Water Department employee Antonio Ortega when he was carrying out a work order to check the water usage at Frantzie’s house.  Frantz ordered the employee to meet him in the city manager’s office immediately.  Mr. Ortega called his supervisor to accompany him.  At that meeting when Pierre was questioned by the city manager, he exploded in the presence of all three witnesses.  Frantz couldn’t believe that the employee dared to defy him!

According to the Internal Affairs investigator Sgt. Richard Silberman, it was also revealed that Mr. Ortega followed up that meeting with two written memos to his supervisor.  During the investigation it came to light that Frantz contacted Mr. Ortega and asked him to meet at Denny’s.  Concerned about losing his job, the employee consented to the meeting, where he found out that Frantz wanted Mr. Ortega to claim that he was “forced, coerced, intimidated to write this report against” Frantz.

Yes, you read that correctly!  Frantz Pierre’s defense was that the employee made it all up and that he was “forced, coerced, and intimated” to file a complaint against him.  Frantz told the same bullshit story to Sgt. Silberman, but gave no explanation as to who forced Mr. Ortega to write the memos, or why.  Obviously, Frantz fabricated this accusation!

But, wait!  There’s more!

The following year, Frantz tried to get another employee fired by accusing then Public Services Director Shari Kamali of engineering a bid by secretly conspiring with the winning bidder.  Another Internal Affairs investigation was opened, during which Frantz told Sgt. Silberman that he had “irrefutable evidence” and “credible witnesses” and “I stand by it.”

Even more ridiculous, Frantzie claimed that “once again, when the time is right, the Council and the City will know the truth.”

I’m not sure what “truth” Frantzie was expecting to reveal, but he never did produce any “irrefutable evidence” that Ms. Kamali committed a wrongdoing.  The only “truth” that came out was that Frantzie was, as usual, full of crap.

At this point, it is blatantly obvious that Frantz Pierre has abused his position by intimidating city employees on at least FOUR DOCUMENTED OCCASIONS.

Who knows how many times he’s done so without getting caught?  Sources told me that just recently he solicited a city employee for a donation for his campaign, which is against the law (see below), but that employee decided not to come forward out of fear of retaliation.

Frantz Pierre has broken the law on numerous occasions.

Florida Statute 112.313, Standards of conduct for public officers, employees of agencies, and local government attorneys, is very clear about what is unacceptable behavior by public officials:

SOLICITATION OR ACCEPTANCE OF GIFTS.— (2) No public officer, employee of an agency, local government attorney, or candidate for nomination or election shall solicit or accept anything of value to the recipient, including a gift, loan, reward, promise of future employment, favor, or service, based upon any understanding that the vote, official action, or judgment of the public officer, employee, local government attorney, or candidate would be influenced thereby.

AND:

MISUSE OF PUBLIC POSITION.— (6) No public officer, employee of an agency, or local government attorney shall corruptly use or attempt to use his or her official position or any property or resource which may be within his or her trust, or perform his or her official duties, to secure a special privilege, benefit, or exemption for himself, herself, or others. This section shall not be construed to conflict with s. 104.31.

Furthermore, Florida Statute 112.317, Penalties, is very clear about the consequences for violating FS 112.313:

(1) Any violation of this part, including, but not limited to, failure to file disclosures required by this part or violation of any standard of conduct imposed by this part, or any violation of s. 8, Art. II of the State Constitution, in addition to any criminal penalty or other civil penalty involved, under applicable constitutional and statutory procedures, constitutes grounds for, and may be punished by, one or more of the following:

(a) In the case of a public officer:

1. Impeachment.
2. Removal from office.
3. Suspension from office.
4. Public censure and reprimand.
5. Forfeiture of no more than one-third of his or her salary per month for no more than 12 months.
6. A civil penalty not to exceed $10,000.
7. Restitution of any pecuniary benefits received because of the violation committed. The commission may recommend that the restitution penalty be paid to the agency of which the public officer was a member or to the General Revenue Fund.

There are also penalties for lying under oath.  Frantz Pierre has committed perjury ad nauseam, not only while being interrogated during Internal Affairs investigations, but also during the 2011 election by filing a bogus restraining order against Ketley Joachim, who was running against him at the time.

Undaunted, Ms. Joachim is again challenging his seat.  This time she should win hands down!

In typical Frantzie fashion, he has come up with a creative defense for his abuse of power against city employee Tasheema Lewis.  Get read for this whopper…

HE CLAIMS IT WAS A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY!

Frantz Pierre actually had the cojones to tell NBC6 reporter Willard Shepard that “he wasn’t even home at the time and that the worker has him confused with someone else.”

Did you just bust a gut laughing?  I know I did.

Is there anyone in North Miami Beach, especially a city employee, who could possibly confuse the Weasel with anyone else?

For one thing, the stench of moth balls alone is a dead giveaway!

More importantly, Franz Pierre’s picture is ON THE WALL IN THE LOBBY OF CITY HALL!

There is no freaking chance in hell that Code Enforcement Officer Tasheema Lewis could possibly confuse the Weasel with anyone else!  Frantz Pierre has really gone off the deep end this time!

The good news is that FINALLY the State Attorney’s Office has been asked to investigate Frantz Pierre “for possible abuse of power.”

The bad news is that the State Attorney’s Office has been asked to investigate Frantz Pierre “for possible abuse of power.”

The is the same State Attorney who has in the past refused to investigate Frantz Pierre for accusations of perjury and absentee ballot fraud, even though she was handed evidence on a silver platter that he committed crimes.

In light of Katherine Fernandez Rundle’s absolute refusal to investigate and/or prosecute (See:  Myron Rosner) public officials, either whose constituents she needs in order to get re-elected, or who happen to be married to CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE SARAH ZABEL, we can pretty much expect nothing to be done about the Frantz Pierre Problem.

Despite the fact that I just did at least half the work for her by providing irrefutable evidence that Frantz Pierre is an habitual offender, does anyone even remotely believe that Katherine Fernandez Rundle won’t drop this ball as well?

After all, she’s up for re-election again next year.

Since there is no faith that the county’s Top Cop will do her job and follow through on this investigation, it’s up to the citizens of North Miami Beach to finish the job by VOTING FRANTZ PIERRE OUT OF OFFICE!

ON TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015, PLEASE VOTE RESPONSIBLY!

Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”