#EXCLUSIVE 🧵: @HeraldOpEd claimed they didn’t know about the arrest record of Miami District 2 special election candidate James Torres when they endorsed him, but emails from board member Isadora Rangel reveal he disclosed it to them at least 6 days before publication. /1
Three days after #BecauseMiami called them out for endorsing Torres without mentioning his arrests, the Herald ran a story about it HOURS before election day and updated their original post: “Since publication of this recommendation on 2/23, new information...has surfaced.” /2
But it wasn’t “new information.” Multiple text blasts with his arrest record were sent to district voters in early February, Torres addressed it at candidate forums throughout the month, and disclosed it to @HeraldOpEd in a questionnaire one week before their recommendation. /3
The Herald has a controversial track record on candidate recommendations recently. Last August, they endorsed @FabianBasabe2 without disclosing that he was arrested by the U.S. Marshals' Fugitive Task Force for strong-arm robbery of a woman's cellphone caught on video in 2020. /4
In 2021, the Miami Herald and its Editorial Board spent weeks expertly reporting on the failures, incompetence and corruption of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez — only to recommend his re-election in a bizarre post that gave every reason NOT to vote for him. /5
In 2020, despite the hard work of their own reporters uncovering the injustices of State Attorney Kathy Fernandez Rundle, @HeraldOpEd endorsed her and misstated her record: she has never prosecuted a cop for an on-duty killing after 30 years in office. /6 miaminewtimes.com/news/twitter-r…
In 2019, @HeraldOpEd ripped Miami Commissioner Ken Russell (who didn't even show up to the board interview), but recommended him "despite reservations," quietly changed their headline with no editor’s note, then permanently removed the post from their site without explanation. /7
In 2018, they endorsed Bettina Rodriguez Aguilera who said she was abducted by aliens, still talks with them telepathically and revealed their secrets (30,000 nonhuman skulls hidden in Maltese caves! Miami's Coral Castle is an ancient Egyptian pyramid!) /8
#BecauseMiami is awaiting comment and answers to questions sent to the Miami Herald Editorial Board this morning. We will update the thread if and when they respond. For now: /end
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