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Jul 15, 2008 11:41 pm US/Eastern
Civilian Panel: Chief Timoney Guilty Of 6 Charges
Timoney Has Previously Been Fined For Breaking State And County Ethics Laws
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
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File: Chief John Timoney
CBS
Miami's Civilian Investigative Panel has found Miami Police Chief John Timoney guilty of 6 out of the 9 allegations when he accepted the free use of a Lexus SUV provided by a local dealer.
Tuesday night the CIP made its findings public, and announced the charges he is guilty of, including being untruthful in the course of the investigation, and misleading the news media--violating public policy. However, when a CBS4 News investigation revealed that Chief John Timoney was driving a set of luxury wheels for free, the Chief said, "There's been a perception created that somehow I was getting something for nothing."
What Chief Timoney dismissed as "perception" in that August, 2007 news conference became a cold reality Tuesday evening when Miami's Civilian Investigative Panel (CIP) took up the report that alleged nine violations of law or department policy by the chief of police.
The CIP's probe began after CBS4 Reporter Gary Nelson revealed that Timoney drove a Lexus SUV at no charge, courtesy of Lexus of Kendall.
He told reporters he had the Lexus "for about a year," a claim he repeated, twice, under oath.
But as Nelson reported in June, Timoney's claim conflicts with a statement given by the manager of the Lexus dealership, and with dealership documents that suggest he drove it, for free, not for a year or so, but nearly two years.
However, the panel was deadlocked on whether to pronounce him guilty of behavior unbecoming of a police officer.
When CBS4 News first asked the chief about his Lexus, he denied the free ride, a spokesman saying, "The chief says he leases the Lexus. He pays for the car. There isn't a story here."
But when Nelson documented, through motor vehicle records, that he couldn't be paying for the car, Chief Timoney acknowledged the 'sweetheart deal', saying the Lexus dealer had asked him to "test drive" the hybrid SUV.
Timoney has already been fined by the Florida Commisison on Ethics and the Miami-Dade County Commission on Ethics, which issued the chief a stinging, public reprimand.
The Civilian Investigative Panel, created by an overwhelming vote of the citizens of Miami, is empowered only to investigate and make recommendations to city hall.
Chief Timoney's job would appear to be secure - he continues to enjoy the support of his good friend and ally, Mayor Manny Diaz. Diaz once accused the CIP of "overstepping its bounds" by claiming it had the authority to investigate the police chief.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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