Police chief was fired while investigating mayor. Now he's filed a whistle-blower suit.
Former North Bay Village Police Chief Carlos Noriega filed a whistle-blower lawsuit in federal court Friday, naming the city as primary defendant. The summons was served to Mayor Connie Leon-Kreps.
Noriega alleges that his April 5 firing was retaliation for several criminal investigations into Leon-Kreps and her allies, most notably a complaint involving the alleged blackmail of a former commissioner.
City Attorney Norman Powell called the lawsuit "frivolous" and "meritless."
Under Florida law, it is illegal to fire or otherwise retaliate against an employee who reports illegal or unethical acts of an employer. And documents filed in the suit show that as early as May 24, 2017, Noriega had informed city officials of a potential criminal case involving the mayor that he had passed on to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/miami-beach/article212317264.html
