Woman Being Investigated For Brokering Absentee Ballots
HIALEAH (CBSMiami) – A Hialeah woman is being investigated for brokering absentee ballots related to the upcoming election. The Miami-Dade Police public corruption unit confirms it is looking at Daisy Cabrera. Investigators said they stopped her on Wednesday and at the time she had several absentee ballots on her. Police confiscated those ballots and returned them to the Department of Elections.
Cabrera emerged from her second floor Hialeah apartment Thursday afternoon greeted by a swarm of media. She ran into her car and drove off yelling at reporters to talk to her lawyer.
Criminal defense attorney Eric Castillo accompanied Cabrera as she left her apartment. He said because of the pending investigating they have no comment.
"At this point we have no information about an arrest or anything of that sort," said Cabrera.
But police said once their investigation is complete Cabrera could face charges and an arrest.
State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle refused to comment on Cabrera but did release the following statement:
"All of Miami-Dade County's voters should be very careful with their absentee ballots. It is now a misdemeanor crime to pick up or return "…no more than two (2) absentee ballots other than his or her own per election" as designated in the ordinance (attached). The ordinance contains very specific language on how absentee ballots are now to be handled."
This is not the first time the issue of ballot brokering has hit the news in South Florida. In fact that's why authorities stiffened the penalties for doing so. If charged, Cabrera could face two months in jail or a thousand dollar fine.
