A whistleblower lawsuit filed last month against Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo for abusing his power as the chairman of the Bayfront Park Management Trust and paying friends exorbitant fees to get alleged kickbacks has snared onetime Coral Gables commission candidate Javier Baños, who is now the editor of the Gables Insider and a frequent critic of Mayor Vince Lago.
So, of course, it has already become political fodder in the City Beautiful, where there’s going to be a contentious election in April.
It took Lago less than 24 hours after the Miami Herald broke the lawsuit story to send an email from his political action committee that calls Baños the “spin master” for his political opponents. Funny enough, when Commissioner Ariel Fernandez was the editor, he was Lago’s “spin master.” Lago has admitted as such.
Read related: Miami politics creep into Coral Gables election via Javier Baños, Claudia Miro
Carollo and Baños are accused of having “threatened” two employees — the new Trust director Jose Suarez and the new finance director Jose Canto — and having forced their departure after the men began to question the “lack of proper accounting practices and procedures that enabled Carollo to (a) use the Trust’s funds to pay for Carollo’s own political ventures; (b) use the Trust’s funds to support Carollo’s District 3 Political Office (c) use the Trust’s funds to pay and overpay Carollo’s political allies; (d) use the Trust’s funds to overpay Carollo’s District 3 Social Media provider, (e) waste the Trust’s funds on a 2007 Vet mobile that was never used and that had a suspicious and seemingly untraceable past; and e) seek to use the Trust funds to pay for Carollo’s Holiday Party.
“Together, these wrongful expenditures totaled hundreds of thousands of dollars of misused and wasted Trust funds in less than one year, and Carollo has Chaired the Trust for the past eight years without any legitimate oversight,” the complaint states.

Finally. Everybody knows that Carollo’s handling of the Trust was shady AF for years. Ladra has barked about nearly $1 million spent on the Dogs and Cats Walkway that never went through a competitive process that led to the resignation of a board member the outdoor gym that was put in place without the proper permitting or process. There was a petition to remove him as chair of the Trust.
Read related: Bayfront Park board member resigns on Joe Carollo’s $1 mil no-bid giveaway
Almost every page of the 23-page lawsuit could be another story here. And we might get to them. But the reverberations were felt in the City Beautiful right away because of Baños involvement.
Within days of the lawsuit being filed, Lago’s political action committee sent an email blast calling him the “spin master” for Menendez and the two other commissioners who have been consistently voting against him. He said that the Gables Insider had been “spreading misinformation and disinformation” since Baños took over after the election of Fernandez.
Gables Insider has “shamelessly cheered and advocated for the 101% pay increases that Menendez and Fernandez gave themselves in 2023 without resident approval, for denying increased voter participation by moving our elections to November (which Mayor Vince Lago and Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson have supported — saving the City $200,000 per election and raising voter turnout), and most recently, for the disastrous appointments of two city managers in less than 11 months without notice, due process, or our resident’s input.”
This is going to be Lago’s drumbeat until April.
“Whatever credibility Baños and Gables Insider might have had left should be gone as a result of these serious allegations,” the PAC email states. “However, unlike Gables Insider’s brand of ‘reporting,’ we don’t want you to take our word for it. Instead, we are providing you with the links to the stories published  for you to decide whether Menendez, Ariel, and Baños deserve the trust of our community.”
The email proceeds to list four excerpts and links to local TV stories and a Miami Herald story about the lawsuit, which is also linked. It calls Gables Insider a “local propaganda machine.”
Read related: Kirk Menendez runs for Coral Gables mayor against city bully Vince Lago
Baños told Political Cortadito that his involvement in the Trust was limited and that he never threatened either man. He said he had spoken to Suarez no more than seven or eight times since he was made the executive director last March.
But the lawsuit makes it clear that Baños’ financial role may be key to building a case against Carollo.
In the complaint, the attorneys — Jeff Gutchess, who represented the Little Havana businessmen in the first amendment lawsuit against Carollo that won a jury award of $63.5 million, and Jay Rhodes, who used to work in Carollo’s office– claim that Baños not only “ominously warned” Suarez that he “would rather Ca to not express any issues with the accounting at the open board meeting,” but is also protecting an outside accountant who just happens to be another in-law.
Their relationship extends beyond the Bayfront Park Trust and Baños, who lost his Gables commission race because of his ties to Carollo, may know more than he’s letting on. In fact, Ladra is surprised he wasn’t deposed in any of the other cases against the commissioner.
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Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago is coming apart at the seams.
His latest public meltdown was caught on camera last week during a press conference called by Police Chief Ed Hudak about the two human trafficking incidents that were recently thwarted by the department within the City Beautiful’s borders. Hudak had just finished briefing the local media on the latest arrests Tuesday — the first incident was Jan. 17 — after a 911 call alerted police to a van with 26 mostly Chinese migrants, when Lago rushed up behind the press and started yelling, heckling the chief, royally pissed off that he wasn’t “invited” to the media event.
Except he was. Chief Hudak told everyone about the 2 p.m. press conference that same morning at the short and uneventful commission meeting. We’re all bored, but maybe L’Ego shouldn’t be spending so much commission time on his phone.
Commissioners Melissa Castro and Kirk Menendez, who is running for mayor against the incumbent, both went over after the meeting to support the chief, who provided details about the evidence found with the migrants, including documents and a handgun. He then thanked the media for being there.
Read related: Kirk Menendez runs for Coral Gables mayor against city bully Vince Lago
“Thank you, chief,” Lago snapped quickly. “Thank you, mayor,” the chief responded, a little surprised. Watch this video clip.
“I appreciate you, my brother,” Lago yelled. “Thank you for calling me. I appreciate it.” Then he directed himself to the press gathered.
“Hey, if anyone wants to hear from the mayor. I’m the mayor of Coral Gables. I wasn’t included in this,” Lago said, and you can hear the hurt in his voice. “If you’d like to hear from me, I’m here.”
Awwww. Pobrecito. He’s there if anyone wants to hear from him.
“Mayor, if you want to talk,” Hudak began, about to invite him to the podium. But Lago interrupted him.
“Thank you guys I appreciate it,” the mayor said. “It’s a shame that we dont offer the same courtesy to the mayor that we offer to to other colleagues.”
Key word: Colleagues. He’s calling Menendez and Castro his colleagues. That’s new.
Hudak’s face in the video is priceless. Other city employees looked mighty uncomfortable, too, as they shuffled around.
But, c’mon. These public outbursts are becoming more and more frequent.

 
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Miami commissioners on Thursday abandoned a plan to take someone’s riverside property through eminent domain proceedings and, instead, purchase another property in Little Havana owned by the same man. Instead of a park along the Miami River, the city will use the vacant land between 8th and 7th streets at 14th Avenue to build affordable housing.
Arturo Ortega didn’t want to sell his waterfront property in what’s becoming a fast-rising hot spot and where he recently started construction on a two story restaurant. Maybe he doesn’t really want to sell the lots in Little Havana either. Ladra can’t know for sure because he did not call back after a voice and text message was left on his phone. But he may not have a choice.

City Commissioner Joe Carollo wanted to build Simón Bolivar Park, in honor of the Venezuelan hero, on the riverside property — a vanity project for his wife, who is Venezuelan. He got the city to take Ortega to court. Crazy Joe gets them to do all kinds of crazy things. In 2023, a judge ruled that the city could take the land through eminent domain, a process by which a government can force the sale of private property for a necessary public use, paying a fair market value. And, last month, a jury decided that the property was worth $10.8 million, which is more than the city wanted to pay but less than Ortega though he should get.
Read related: Miami: Joe Carollo uses eminent domain to take private property for park
The city had 20 days from the ruling to make the payment, but on Thursday entered into a settlement with Ortega to buy the 8th Street property for $9 million, instead. Carollo agreed because the riverfront lot equaled about 15,000 square feet, or a third of an acre, while the Little Havana property is about an acre.
“There’s a lot that the city could do with that property,” Carollo said, although the resolution from the city’s Department of Real Estate and Asset Management specifically says it will be an affordable housing project.
Carollo always claimed that the slice of riverside land should be a park, even though Jose Marti Park is a hop and a skip away.
Ortega bought the property for $4.3 million in 2014, according to the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser’s records. So he’s still making a tidy profit. But he was likely strong-armed into selling it so that he could keep the riverside lot.
Political Cortadito will be watching and reporting on the Little Havana property and the affordable housing project to come.

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Miami was reeling Wednesday after the Miami Herald’s Tess Riski reported the whistleblower lawsuit against Miami Commmissioner Joe Carollo filed by two former employees of the Bayfront Park Management Trust of using public funds for his personal gain. Among the details released was a $150,000 payment to America TeVé to broadcast the city’s million-dollar New Year’s Eve party at Bayfront Park.
The lawsuit alleges that Carollo and his wife Marjorie are “close personal friends” with the owners of the station, which also was used at one point to broadcast parts of the Little Havana Friday Nights event. The employees’ lawyers contend that the city could have gotten free coverage from any other station, like Telemundo or Univision, or even sold the rights to a station, which would profit from selling advertising.
But then Carollo, who has threatened to run for mayor this year, wouldn’t have gotten more than a dozen self-serving commercials about all the great things he’s doing for the city.
In every commercial break during the live broadcast, available now on YouTube, there were multiple spots featuring Carollo and/or his wife Marjorie boasting about the Dogs and Cats Walkway at Maurice Ferre Park, the newly renovated fountain at Bayfront Park, the commissioner’s herculean efforts in Little Havana, and the progress made at both Bayfront and Maurice Ferre.
Read related: Bayfront Park board member resigns on Joe Carollo’s $1 mil no-bid giveaway
“Thanks to the leadership of Commissioner Joe Carollo, these spaces have been transformed into unique destinations with ample security for the enjoyment of residents and tourists,” the voiceover says. The ad includes footage of the new outdoor gym that residents fought but was approved on a questionable ballot question.

In the spot about the renovated fountain, the narrator says “In the heart of Miami, an icon has been reborn, thanks to the tireless work of Commissioner Joe Carollo, the chairman of the Bayfront Trust Park.”
“”Happy New Year,” says his wife, Marjorie. “Here, Miami, is your gift.”
There’s also a “Happy New Year” spot where Carollo sits alone under the city of Miami seal against a blank wall, like a hostage, and talks about the event.
“Welcome once more to the biggest Hispanic celeb nye eve in the united states. On a night like to night let’s recount all we have learned this year,” Carollo said. “I have maintained not only my commitment with District 3, which I represent, but with the whole city of Miami. And despite it being a year of constant struggles, we were able to reach our objectives and fulfill our promises for the benefit of the whole community.”
The only other advertisers were the Miami Marlins, Braman Miami and a spot with Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who also mentioned Carollo’s hard work. But the Carollo ads outnumbered them.
Later in the broadcast, Carollo — who has come under fire for his abuse of power as chairman of the Bayfront Park Trust before — comes on stage himself toward the end of the event with his wife.
Read related: New petition drive aims to oust Miami’s Joe Carollo from Bayfront Park Trust
“Nobody does a party like Miami,” he yells, with his wife standing behind him holding an adorable little girl. “But don’t leave after the fireworks, because the pachanga will go on until 1:30 a.m. or longer.”
On the broadcast, there was a banner across the bottom of the screen wishing everyone a Happy 2025 from Carollo.
You can’t buy that kind of publicity. Oh, well, yeah you can. For $150,000.

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At first blush, the item on the Miami City Commission agenda for Thursday’s meeting about expanding the pool of tow companies for the Miami Parking Authority — which currently only uses one company with political connections — sounds like a good idea. It just seems like too sweet a deal to let one company with ties to Commissioner Joe Carollo and former Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla have all 33,000 tows for overtime or illegal parking in a year.
But it smells like a bad pay-for-play arrangement. Because the other company that wants a piece of the pie is also politically connected.
Commissioner Miguel Gabela has sponsored an ordinance to urge the Miami Parking Authority, also known as the city’s Department of Off-Street Parking, to issue a new request for proposal for towing services “to be awarded to no fewer than two towing companies with the towing assignments being apportioned equally among the awarded vendors.”
Since 2018, Roadway Inc has been handling all the towing services for the MPA. Roadway is owned by Gustavo Lovato, the husband of Adriana Moyano, a former Doral council candidate and leader of the What’s App crew that reportedly stole and destroyed or tossed the opposing candidate’s absentee ballots for Diaz de la Portilla in his failed bid to replace Bruno Barreiro on the county commission. It was detailed in a New Times story by Jerry Iannelli.
Read related: Alex Diaz DLP tops $200K mark in Miami campaign despite AB fraud
Anyway, that contract expired in January of last year.
A new RFP was issued in September and only two companies qualified — Roadway and Alpine Towing. But sources inside and outside the city told Ladra that the RFP was written specifically for Roadway, with a required number of lots and equipment and capacity that the MPA thought only Roadway would meet. Alpine reportedly surprised them. There were also, allegedly, violations of the cone of silence that must be kept during the bidding and procurement process.

In comparison, the previous RFP got seven companies to make offers.
The parking authority cancelled the RFP in December, which is also when former State Rep. Manuel “Manny” Prieguez — who helped Gabela in his campaign — officially registered to lobby for Alpine (hey, at least he registered, unlike some people). And now they are getting ready to issue a new RFP.

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