At traffic stops in Miami-Dade County and elsewhere, police have been handing out flyers from their department advertising a website selling Donald Trump merchandise to drivers. Miami Herald recently reported.
The fliers included a link to a website — miami-dadeclerk.com — where people with traffic citations can pay off fines or register for driving school. But the first link on this flyer is the one that applies. was missing a hyphenThe correct link was added later in the flyer.
People who visited an incorrect link were redirected to an online storeAmazon links The page is at findsale.com, advertised items including pro-Trump flags with sayings like “Let’s Go Brandon” and “Hillary Belongs in Prison, Joe Belongs in a Nursing Home.”
Also available for purchase was a 97-minute filmSo called Trump 2024: The World After TrumpThe film, which features far right figures such as MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell or PragerU founder Dennis Prager. The film bills itself as exposing the “aggressive movement to transform America, strip away its freedoms and Judeo-Christian values.”
It’s unclear why the link, which now redirects to a Florida judicial commission website, originally redirected to the website with the Trump merchandise. The Washington PostIt was found that the non-hyphenated siteEpik hosts this website, as well as far-right websites like Gab, Parler, and others. hosting servicesPlatforming hate speech and violence.
Miami Beach Twitter: Have you been stopped by Miami Beach police, and given one of these flyers about how to resolve a minor traffic citation online? We’d love to hear from your. pic.twitter.com/HbD3xZciq0
— Doug Hanks (@doug_hanks) February 15, 2022
Ernesto Rodriguez, Miami Beach Police spokesperson told the Miami HeraldThe incorrect link was a typo, and police are investigating the matter. According to Rodriguez, the department had received copies of the flier with the correct links from the county, but it “produced its own version of the notices and the error was inserted at some point during the printing process.”
One state judge, Judge Steve Leifman, said that it was “disgusting” to see government sources directing people toward political merchandise.
It’s possible that the website redirect was an unfortunate coincidence; the police union defended officers handing out the fliers, saying that officers didn’t check the links to make sure they were correct.
Police have become more proactive in recent years. become increasingly vocalin their support for right-wing political candidates, and far right extremism. Officials are currently investigating dozens of off-duty police officerswho took part in the attack on U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021. Capitol Police officers who were supposed be holding back the crowd were also allegedly involvedIn helping the crowd to enter the building to disrupt the certification of 2020 presidential election.
Leakage of member rolls from the far right militia Oath KeepersLast year’s list included names of active officers in major cities. research has shownIn particular, domestic terrorist plots and attacks by law enforcement personnel and active-duty or reserve military personnel have increased in recent years.
