Ryan Nicol
As Miami-Dade County eyes a May 18 soft reopen date, several advisers used by the county have also donated thousands of dollars to Mayor Carlos Giménez‘ congressional campaign.
Giménez is barred by term limits from running for county Mayor again this year. However, he remains in charge of Miami-Dade’s coronavirus response as he seeks federal office as a Republican.
Giménez has, in part, relied on a series of working groups to help guide the county toward reopening. Giménez announced Friday the county is shooting for a limited reopening on May 18.
As reported by the Miami New Times, Giménez appointed several donors to his congressional campaign to serve on the county’s reopening working groups.
Lobbyist Albert Dotson donated $5,600 to that congressional campaign. Jacquelyn Soffer, the CEO of Turnberry Associates, donated the same amount.
Both serve on the county’s real estate working group. Dotson’s wife has also donated $2,800.
Luis Garcia, President and CEO of Adonel Concrete, serves on the county’s restaurant working group. He too donated the maximum of $5,600 to the Giménez congressional campaign.
While there is some overlap between those donors and the working groups, the groups contain dozens of other appointees throughout the region. Giménez campaign spokesperson Nicole Rapanos denied anything fishy about the selections in a statement to the Miami New Times.
“There are an array of businesses that contributed to Mayor Giménez’s campaign. Some of whom had their businesses shut down while others were able to operate,” Rapanos said.
“Their contributions had no bearing on such decisions. As a former firefighter and public-safety official, Mayor Giménez is focused solely on working with health officials and experts to protect all residents.”
The Florida Democratic Party saw things differently.
“Corrupt Carlos’ pay-to-play politics are absolutely unacceptable, and they endanger lives in our community,” said FDP Deputy Communications Director Luisana Pérez Fernández.
“In the midst of this crisis, Corrupt Carlos allows special interests to pay their way out of protecting their workers and our public health. He is completely unfit to represent us in Congress.”
The Miami-Dade County Commission has criticized the Mayor’s handling of the crisis, arguing his reliance on executive orders has shut out commissioners from having a say.
Giménez responded to that criticism Friday, arguing a concern over disclosing working group conversations — per the state’s Sunshine Law — has led him down that path.
“The problem is that we have a Sunshine Law,” Giménez argued.
“A lot of these meetings, it wasn’t appropriate to be in the sunshine. People had to say what was on their mind and our doctors had to say what was on their mind, and so you couldn’t have more than one commissioner. There was a commissioner on these meetings, which is the commissioner that they themselves appointed to be the liaison to this entire process.
“It was as open a process as we can have, albeit not in the sunshine. So that’s the problem with the Sunshine Law. I really can’t have more than one commissioner at a time that I can talk to because if not, it violates the Sunshine [Law].
Giménez is competing for the Republican nomination in Florida’s 26th Congressional District. He’s running against Omar Blanco, the former head of Miami-Dade Firefighters Local 1403.
The winner would take on incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, who won that seat in 2018.
One comment
Andy MADTES
May 8, 2020 at 5:07 pm
You have to stop calling him corrupt Carlos Giminez, it’s smear and disgusting. He has not had one ethics complaint against him in his 10 years in office, not one investigation for wrong doing and he certainly has not been indicted.
It’s so wrong to label someone corrupt just for a political tag! Thats like saying congresswomen Powell is corrupt because her husbands company received millions In bail out funding . We know she is not corrupt. That’s what’s wrong with our fucking politics, just say whatever You feel with out any merit. You can disagree with his policies without calling him corrupt!!!
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