A Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation has found that Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago did not assault City Manager Amos Rojas Jr. during an “incident” between the two men at City Hall in June.
The FDLE had been investigating a complaint by Rojas, a retired FDLE agent, that Lago assaulted him during a meeting, according to a close-out memo from the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office acquired by the Miami Herald. In the memo, signed last week, prosecutors agreed with the FDLE’s conclusion that “the facts did not meet the elements of an assault” and said the matter was now closed.
The memo indicates that the incident was at one point being investigated as a second-degree misdemeanor assault, a crime in Florida that can carry a fine of up to $500 and up to 60 days in jail.
Lago did not respond to a request for comment from the Herald. Rojas did not respond to an email sent to both him and city spokesperson Martha Pantin. Pantin declined to comment on the matter other than to confirm that the investigation was closed and that no charges had been filed.
A spokesperson for Coral Gables Police Department said Wednesday morning that she could not comment on the matter because the FDLE had not yet confirmed to the department that the investigation was closed. The FDLE did not respond to the Herald’s request for comment.
The incident in question, which happened during a meeting at City Hall on June 3, took place during a year of political turmoil for Lago and drew attention to divisions within the city’s leadership structure. Rojas was appointed as city manager in February, just two weeks after the city commission voted to fire then-City Manager Peter Iglesias, whom the mayor supported.
Rojas was appointed in a narrow 3-2 vote, with Lago voting against the hire. The mayor claimed that Rojas’ appointment violated Florida’s Sunshine Law, something Rojas has denied.
Lago also survived a recall attempt earlier this year. The recall effort, which fell short by 120 signatures in April, stoked divisions during an already politically contentious time in the city.
In a statement in June, Lago called the incident at City Hall an example of “political theater” on the part of the city manager. In his own statement, Rojas said at that time that he has “always strived to work in a collegial manner with my colleagues and superiors,” declining to comment on the incident itself.
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