Sweetwater's Mayor Pointing Fingers As Residents Continue Fight To Have Him Recalled

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The mayor of Sweetwater is pointing fingers as residents continue their fight to try to kick him out of office.

On Wednesday, Mayor Orlando Lopez addressed the recall petition.

He shared a document he said shows the recall violated state statutes because of the way signatures were obtained.

"In this deposition he brings to light, sheds to light, the allegations and suspicions that I had all along that this pack had been hired and paid to circulate the petitions," said Lopez. "This recall was not a citizens-driven as had been alleged all the time."

Mayor Lopez pointed fingers at the city's own attorney and a county commissioner as the forces behind the recall petition.

"It clearly states, 'Who hired you to represent the pack? It was Pepe Diaz, the county commissioner, along with Guillermo Cuarda, the city attorney.' City attorney Guillermo Cuadra has a responsibility to represent me as the mayor of the city. He has broken his ethical obligation on my part when he was part of the hiring process to hire dark horse strategies to try to recall me," Lopez said.

Miami-Dade County Commissioner and former Sweetwater Mayor Jose "Pepe" Diaz said he signed the recall petition because he believes Lopez should not be in office.

"He stated that I'm behind this. I am supportive as a citizen of the city of Sweetwater. I'm extremely supportive of this petition to take him out of office for so many different reasons," Miami-Dade County Commissioner Diaz said.

Diaz said Lopez's move is politically-motivated.

"There's an election in Sweetwater May 9th and this is a political issue and he's tried to take the ability of what's happening and use it to manipulate a political side," said