MIAMI – CBS 4 first reported Friday, that longtime Miami-Dade School Board Member Dr. Marta Perez is accusing Lt. Governor Jeanette Nunez of intimidating her staff and supporters, insisting they do not support her re-election campaign.
CBS 4 talked with Nunez for a one-on-one interview to hear from her.
“I don’t know what staffer she’s referring to. I have never sat down with anyone and told them that if they don’t support our preferred candidate in this race or any other race. As you know, we’re involved in 29 races across the state,” Nunez said.
Nunez called the allegations coming from Perez completely false.
“For her to use those desperate tactics and defame me is really an indication of where she feels she’s at in the race,” Nunez added.
Governor Ron Desantis and Nunez have been vocal about supporting Perez’s opponent, Monica Colluci and another candidate, Roberto Alonso running for the school board.
“It really is nonsense for her to say that I’m going and visiting, I’m a little busy helping run the state of Florida getting involved in issues that are important to Floridians on an everyday basis,” and Nunez also said, “I’d be thrilled to see the proof or evidence.”
The evidence Perez explained is difficult because people are scared to come forward and questions her media appearances to support Collucci.
“The people who have been intimidated, it wasn’t in writing, and they’d probably be afraid to say that it’s there,” Perez told CBS 4.
Perez is holding firm in her stance. “This is unprecedented from the 2nd most powerful person in the state that wants to get her girlfriend elected,” Perez said.
In her two decades of service, Perez has never experienced anything like this.
“You can see also some of the people that were for me say all of a sudden say I’m sorry I can’t support you, so there is evidence,” she added.
For now, Perez told CBS 4 she will measure her time between exposing this kind of bullying and campaigning in the last 23 days left before the election.
