"Dignitary Protection": Mayor Suarez Brought Bodyguards to Japan, South Korea on Taxpayers' Dime

In mid-February, as plum blossom season kicked off across Japan, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez packed his bags and jetted off to the bustling streets of Tokyo. On Valentine's Day, he popped in to visit the country's Minister of Defense and Minister of Foreign Affairs during the little-known trip, memorialized in a series of photos on a Japanese government agency's website, which feature Suarez schmoozing with the foreign leaders over cups of tea.

In response to a public records request filed in February for documents related to the trip, a City of Miami attorney assured New Times that "no city funds" were used for Suarez's visit.

However, newly released records appear to challenge that account, revealing that Miami's globetrotting mayor brought two taxpayer-funded security officers to "provide dignitary protection" on the voyage as he traveled lavishly across Southeast Asia for nearly a week.

Records show that Suarez — who is the subject of a state ethics investigation over claims he improperly accepted pricey sporting event tickets — traveled to Tokyo from February 12 to February 15 before heading over to Seoul, South Korea, until February 18 with his two sergeants-at-arms, officers from the Miami Police Department who were serving as bodyguards. Expense reports show the city reimbursed the officers more than $1,400 altogether for meals during the trip.

The reports submitted by the officers list no expense reimbursement for hotels or transportation. In internal emails, city staff note that the mayor's crew stayed at the glitzy, five-star Four Seasons Seoul and Ritz-Carlton Tokyo, the latter of which can cost upward of $1,000 per night.

While one email between city employees vaguely references the mayor attending a conference, as well as the fact that someone was covering the group's travel and lodging, the communications are unclear about what event the email was referring to or who was ultimately footing the bills.

"I am writing to advise you that Mayor Suarez will be traveling with his detail to Tokyo, Japan & Seoul, South Korea from February 12th through February 18th," Suarez's assistant wrote in a February 14 email to Miami Police Department staff. "Sergeants Alex Lamprou & Brett Preshong will be accompanying the mayor on this trip. The conference the mayor will covering [sic] travel and accommodation expenses."
The mayor's spokesperson, Stephanie Severino, did not respond to several emails from New Times inquiring about the purpose of the Southeast Asia trip and who paid for the group's stay and travel.

Roughly four months after traveling to Asia, Suarez announced his bid for the presidency in June. He dropped out of the race in late August after polling at less than one percent and facing outcry over his false assertions that he had qualified for the Republican primary debate.

Suarez is currently the subject of a state ethics investigation into a complaint filed by Miami activist Thomas Kennedy, who says Suarez improperly accepted costly tickets to Miami Formula One Grand Prix and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. A county ethics commission dismissed a similar complaint last month after finding that Kennedy did not show substantial personal knowledge of the alleged violation, a prerequisite under county regulations.

The Miami Herald reported that Suarez is also under federal investigation into claims that he wielded his position as mayor to help a local developer push his real estate project.

In response to questions about the nature of his Qatar trip, during which he snapped pics at the World Cup with David Beckham (who notably lobbied for approval of his soccer team's new stadium on city property), Suarez's office told reporters that no city funds were used. However, public records later obtained by New Times appeared to conflict with that statement, showing that two sergeants-at-arms traveled to Qatar with Suarez on the city's dime.

Expense reports show that the city reimbursed $1,102 to each officer for their food expenses. The group stayed at the luxurious, five-star Mandarin Oriental hotel in Doha, though the reports do not indicate the city paid for the hotel costs.

While airfare was noted as "covered," it remains unclear who paid for Suarez's accommodations during that trip.