Fabulous work AESOP ! Kudos to such detail educating the public on revealing who Ariel Fdz is and what a fraud he’s perpetrated upon Gables residents. This is reminiscent of the rare scopes of award-winning journalism 👍
A State Ethics Complaint should be filed and I would be happy to be a part of that team’s effort
There’s no time to waste, we need Gables Back Again
Here we go. Our 'citizens first' commissioner, Ariel Fernandez, lied on record that he did not know anything about 'People Count USA', something created by his own marketing firm. According to LinkedIn, Marketseur has only 1 employee. Yes, Ariel Fernandez. Just him. No one else works there. As shady as it gets.
So let’s recap this mess: a sitting city commissioner created a fake polling organization (with a name straight out of a 10th-grade civics project), used it to spy on Coral Gables residents, secretly tracked their political opinions, and then lied about it under oath, deleted records, and played dumb in public meetings like it was all just a wacky misunderstanding.
This wasn’t a lapse in judgment. This was a multi-year surveillance operation—crafted, deployed, and covered up by a man who swore to serve the public. Instead, he served himself. With a side of tracking pixels and a tall glass of narcissism.
So, Commissioner Ariel Fernandez, congratulations: you’ve graduated from “gadfly” to “felon-in-waiting.” And now it’s time for the residents of Coral Gables to respond—not with hand-wringing, but with legal action, ethical accountability, and public pressure.
Here’s exactly what we can do:
🧾 1. File a Florida Commission on Ethics Complaint
Ariel’s conduct violates nearly every clause of the state ethics code—especially the ones about “integrity,” “transparency,” and “not secretly phishing your own constituents.” File a complaint directly here:
Demand that Fernandez be held to the same standard you or I would be if we deleted evidence after being caught spying on 17,000 people.
📬 3. Contact the Florida Attorney General
Because state public records law was violated, and because this involved deceptive data collection, Attorney General James Uthmeier’s office also has jurisdiction.
For extra impact, cite the Florida Public Records Act (Chapter 119), and ask for criminal review under F.S. 817.034 and 838.022.
🧑⚖️ 4. Class Action Lawsuit? Let’s Talk.
Were you one of the thousands who took a “People Count USA” survey under the impression it was anonymous and legitimate? Turns out, you were tricked by a sitting official collecting data on you without consent. That’s textbook fraudulent inducement, possibly civil rights violations, and a strong basis for a class action suit.
Start by contacting organizations like:
Electronic Frontier Foundation – Legal Intake
ACLU of Florida
Or speak with a local attorney experienced in privacy law, government misconduct, or civil litigation.
🔔 5. Petition for His Removal
Under Section 4-7 of the Coral Gables City Charter, a commissioner convicted of a felony is automatically removed from office. Let’s help the system do its job.
But short of conviction, we can still force action:
📧 Email the City Commission and demand a vote of censure or formal referral to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the State Ethics Commission.
Let them know this isn't political—it's legal, ethical, and fundamental. This guy phished you. He lied to you. He deleted records that belonged to you.
📣 6. Make Noise. Loudly. Repeatedly.
City meetings. Public comment. Op-eds. Social media. Don’t let this get memory-holed like yesterday’s HOA drama.
Because if we let this pass quietly, we’re telling every other two-bit wannabe overlord that Coral Gables is open for surveillance—just add Mailchimp.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t some political rivalry or policy disagreement. This is a documented, calculated abuse of public office. It doesn’t matter who you voted for or what side you’re on—what matters is that we don’t let a public official become a private spy.
Ariel Fernandez has no business serving in government. And if he won’t step down like a man, we’ll take action like citizens.
Because if he gets away with this, what’s next? Fingerprint scanners at Starbucks to see who likes Vince Lago?
Fabulous work AESOP ! Kudos to such detail educating the public on revealing who Ariel Fdz is and what a fraud he’s perpetrated upon Gables residents. This is reminiscent of the rare scopes of award-winning journalism 👍
A State Ethics Complaint should be filed and I would be happy to be a part of that team’s effort
There’s no time to waste, we need Gables Back Again
Great work.
Here we go. Our 'citizens first' commissioner, Ariel Fernandez, lied on record that he did not know anything about 'People Count USA', something created by his own marketing firm. According to LinkedIn, Marketseur has only 1 employee. Yes, Ariel Fernandez. Just him. No one else works there. As shady as it gets.
So let’s recap this mess: a sitting city commissioner created a fake polling organization (with a name straight out of a 10th-grade civics project), used it to spy on Coral Gables residents, secretly tracked their political opinions, and then lied about it under oath, deleted records, and played dumb in public meetings like it was all just a wacky misunderstanding.
This wasn’t a lapse in judgment. This was a multi-year surveillance operation—crafted, deployed, and covered up by a man who swore to serve the public. Instead, he served himself. With a side of tracking pixels and a tall glass of narcissism.
So, Commissioner Ariel Fernandez, congratulations: you’ve graduated from “gadfly” to “felon-in-waiting.” And now it’s time for the residents of Coral Gables to respond—not with hand-wringing, but with legal action, ethical accountability, and public pressure.
Here’s exactly what we can do:
🧾 1. File a Florida Commission on Ethics Complaint
Ariel’s conduct violates nearly every clause of the state ethics code—especially the ones about “integrity,” “transparency,” and “not secretly phishing your own constituents.” File a complaint directly here:
👉 https://ethics.state.fl.us/Documents/Forms/Complaint%20Form.PDF?cp=2025627
You’ll need to include your contact info and cite Chapter 112, Part III of the Florida Statutes. (Don’t worry—they’ve seen worse.)
⚖️ 2. Request a Criminal Investigation
Destruction of public records? That’s a crime. Official misconduct? Felony. Lying about it while holding office? That’s obstruction.
Contact the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office and request a formal investigation under Florida Statutes §§ 838.022, 119.10, and 918.13.
👉 https://www.miamisao.com/contact-us/
Or call: 305-547-0100
Demand that Fernandez be held to the same standard you or I would be if we deleted evidence after being caught spying on 17,000 people.
📬 3. Contact the Florida Attorney General
Because state public records law was violated, and because this involved deceptive data collection, Attorney General James Uthmeier’s office also has jurisdiction.
You can submit a complaint or tip here:
👉 http://myfloridalegal.com/contact
For extra impact, cite the Florida Public Records Act (Chapter 119), and ask for criminal review under F.S. 817.034 and 838.022.
🧑⚖️ 4. Class Action Lawsuit? Let’s Talk.
Were you one of the thousands who took a “People Count USA” survey under the impression it was anonymous and legitimate? Turns out, you were tricked by a sitting official collecting data on you without consent. That’s textbook fraudulent inducement, possibly civil rights violations, and a strong basis for a class action suit.
Start by contacting organizations like:
Electronic Frontier Foundation – Legal Intake
ACLU of Florida
Or speak with a local attorney experienced in privacy law, government misconduct, or civil litigation.
🔔 5. Petition for His Removal
Under Section 4-7 of the Coral Gables City Charter, a commissioner convicted of a felony is automatically removed from office. Let’s help the system do its job.
But short of conviction, we can still force action:
📧 Email the City Commission and demand a vote of censure or formal referral to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the State Ethics Commission.
Coral Gables Commission Directory:
👉 https://www.coralgables.com/government/city-commission
Let them know this isn't political—it's legal, ethical, and fundamental. This guy phished you. He lied to you. He deleted records that belonged to you.
📣 6. Make Noise. Loudly. Repeatedly.
City meetings. Public comment. Op-eds. Social media. Don’t let this get memory-holed like yesterday’s HOA drama.
Show up at Commission Meetings (schedule here): https://www.coralgables.com/events
Speak. Demand accountability. Bring friends.
Because if we let this pass quietly, we’re telling every other two-bit wannabe overlord that Coral Gables is open for surveillance—just add Mailchimp.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t some political rivalry or policy disagreement. This is a documented, calculated abuse of public office. It doesn’t matter who you voted for or what side you’re on—what matters is that we don’t let a public official become a private spy.
Ariel Fernandez has no business serving in government. And if he won’t step down like a man, we’ll take action like citizens.
Because if he gets away with this, what’s next? Fingerprint scanners at Starbucks to see who likes Vince Lago?
Let’s shut this down.