The Latin Democrat from Miami Seaside was “censored” by his personal occasion for spreading Covid misinformation
MIAMI – A Miami Beach Democratic commissioner was “censored” Tuesday by his own party for distributing false and inflammatory comments on topics ranging from Covid-19 to the riot at the Capitol.
The Democratic Party of Miami-Dade has passed a resolution with 98 percent support in which it “rebukes” and “rejects” the statements made by Commissioner Ricky Arriola, despite the fact that the party said it could not legally revoke Arriola’s membership of the party.
Arriola had stepped up unproven Covid-19 treatments, boosted herd immunity and compared the riots in the Capitol to protests against the Black Lives Matter, according to a press release from the Miami-Dade Democratic Party.
Ricky Arriola in 2016.Johnny Nunez / Getty Images File
“There is absolutely no room under our tent for the dangerous disinformation and racist rhetoric that Commissioner Arriola is spreading,” said Steve Simeonidis, chairman of the Miami Dade Party, in the statement.
“One of the many differences between us and the opposition is that we hold our members accountable when they cross the line,” said Simeonidis.
Arriola tweeted a story from “The Gateway Pundit” in August that read “JAIL FAUCI,” referring to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases.
The story claimed an international study showed that countries with early use of hydroxychloroquine had 79 percent lower death rates.
Former President Donald Trump also promoted the use of the drug hydroxychloroquine, even when the Federal Drug Administration warned against its use.
At a Miami Beach Commission meeting last year, Arriola suggested that people in the community, starting with first responders, should voluntarily be infected with Covid-19 in order to develop immunity.
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Arriola said in a statement sent via email that the Miami-Dade Democratic Party censorship is “like a knitting club censorship.”
“This organization only knows how to lose elections, as their results last November show.”
He pointed out that former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum was not censored after he was found drunk and unresponsive in a Miami Beach hotel room with baggies of suspicious crystal methamphetamine nearby.
“Apparently this behavior is fine in December, but exercising your first change rights is not going to be if they are not in line with the official party line. This is a perfect example of what is wrong with the Democratic Party. You play an important role in little things, ”said Arriola.
Arriola was elected Miami Beach Commissioner in 2015 and re-elected in 2019. His term of office ends in 2023.
Arriola is now banned from membership or leadership of the Miami-Dade Democratic Executive Committee (DEC) until “a majority of the DEC deems it appropriate to raise the bar”.
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