Lauderhill vice mayor arrested on battery, witness tampering charges; bonded out of jail, officials say

Lauderhill Vice Mayor and District 4 City Commissioner Richard Campbell bonded out of jail after he was arrested Monday on misdemeanor simple battery and felony witness tampering charges, officials said.

The arrest occurred hours before a scheduled city commission meeting. Authorities allege that four weeks ago, Campbell placed his hands on a woman at his home at 2:30 a.m. and subsequently spent 26 days attempting to intimidate the alleged victim into withholding information from an official investigation.

Campbell's attorney, Eric Schwartzenreich, denied the allegations during a bond hearing Tuesday morning, characterizing the legal action as "political persecution" as Campbell campaigns to retain his seat.

"We deny these allegations," Schwartzenreich told a Miami-Dade County judge. "We refuted them and I bring it up because I just want to make it clear that it's our intention to fight each and every one of these allegations".

A judge set Campbell's bond at $7,500. Campbell posted the bond and was released with orders to maintain distance from the alleged victim.