Andre Pierre Wins Reelection In North Miami, Proving That Accountability Is Already Passé

What a difference two months makes. In March, members of the Miami Heat were crying in their locker room; now they're poised to kick the Celtics out of the post-season. Back then, Donald Trump was flying high. Now everyone knows his presidential credentials are faker than his hair piece.

But time doesn't always translate into progress. March was also a high water mark for democracy in Miami-Dade, with Carlos Alvarez's ouster ranking as the largest local recall in U.S. history. Accountability, it seemed, was all the rage.

It didn't last long. Last night, North Miami mayor Andre Pierre was reelected despite a string of controversies. Hell, voters didn't even force a run-off.

According to The Miami Herald, Pierre received 52 percent of the vote ahead of Carol Keys and Jacques Despinosse.

As the incumbent, Pierre was always the favorite to retain his seat. But over the past year, his decision making -- and candidacy -- seemed to go off the deep end.

Consider the following flubs:

• After last year's earthquake in Hait, Pierre collected $100,000 but apparently never sent the money to his devastated homeland.
• Last fall, Pierre began driving a $100,000 Porsche to City Hall. When asked where he got it, he initially said he "couldn't remember" who lent it him.
• In January, the mayor was again lampooned for handing out 43 fake police badges to friends and supporters, despite only having an official staff of three. After costing tax payers $4,000, the badges were ultimately melted into scrap metal.
• Most serious of all, in March prosecutors charged Pierre's campaign manager, Ricardo Brutus, with accepting $4,000 in cash in exchange for having an item removed from the city council's agenda.
• Finally, last month Pierre's wife released a video in which a Keys supporter called her sexual and racial epithets. Although the video reflected most poorly on Keys, it also called into question Bernadette Pierre for chasing someone around North Miami in a SUV with one hand on the wheel while filming on a cell phone.