Former Miami Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla hasn’t filed any official paperwork to run for mayor this year, but you’d never know it judging by the money trail and the paltry little care packages he has been leaving on doorsteps in The Roads.
After more than a year of reporting no contributions, Diaz de la Portilla’s political action committee, Proven Leadership for Miami-Dade County, reported a new $275,500 collected in the second quarter this year, through June 30. More than half, or $142,000, is his own money. From where? Who knows? In his divorce case, Diaz de la Portilla has gone after his estranged wife to pay his legal fees. But he has $142K to slip into a PAC account. ADLP listed his profession as a consultant, but the money could have easily come from the sale of another one of the properties he stole, er, bought from his parents.
Read related: Alex Diaz de la Portilla is knocking, giving out mameys to be Miami mayor
The largest outside gift is $100K from David and Leila Centner. Yes, the same Centners who own the private school and who tried to bribe Diaz de la Portilla before, leading to felony political corruption charges filed against him in 2023. Allegedly.
ADLP was removed from his seat by the governor after he was charged with bribery, money laundering and 12 other felonies in September of 2023. He was accused of taking more than $300,000 — $245K in PAC donations and the rest in hotel accommodations, meals and booze — in exchange for getting the commission to agree to give away a public park for the school’s exclusive use most of the time. The Centner Academy, across the street from Biscayne Park, would build a $10 million sports dome that would be open to the public about a third of the time — and probably for a fee.
The criminal charges were dropped last year, but that might only mean that the Broward County State Attorney — who had to handle the case after our own esteemed prosecutor said she had a conflict (again) — didn’t really care too much about it. It doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. In fact, the lobbyist arrested with Diaz de la Portilla — attorney William “Bill” Riley, who represented the Centers — is suing them couple to recover thousands of dollars he spent on his defense, saying they let him “take the fall.”
A story from earlier this year in the Miami Herald said Riley’s attorneys say the Centners “feigned ignorance” about the contributions and gifts to ADLP, even though “they well knew what he had done at their specific direction.”
So, is this $100,000 their way of saying “Thank you for not suing us?” Or are they seriously thinking that the park could still be theirs if Diaz de la Portilla miraculously becomes the mayor?
Read related: Public corruption charges dropped against Miami’s Alex Diaz de la Portilla
Diaz de la Portilla is also spending the PAC money like he’s running, burning through almost $110,000 in three months. The PAC spent $108,000 and raised nothing in the first quarter and spent $68,000 and raised nothing in the last two months of 2024.
Of the recent expenses listed, almost $17,000 has gone to Julio Guillen, his family’s longtime gopher and one of his ghosts employees when he was a commissioner. Another $11,000 has gone to Sasha Tirador, the absentee ballot queen who is more at home in Hialeah.
And $3,000 was paid in May for legal compliance services to attorney Yesenia Collazo, the former chairwoman of the Proven Leadership PAC, who also got a rather questionable $175,000 grant from the city’s anti-poverty funds from the former District 1 commissioner five months before he was arrested. Collazo is also billing the city’s taxpayers $208,000 for defending Diaz de la Portilla — one of five attorneys billing a total of $1.3 million — in defense of those very same public corruption charges that were dropped last fall.
What? The Centners can’t pay Collazo directly?
Read related: City of Miami may pay $1.3 mil for Alex Diaz de la Portilla’s criminal defense
The PAC also reported spending at least $13,000 on printing, which you can’t tell by the old collaterals Diaz de la Portilla is dropping off with voters this week. Both of the printed pieces are old.
Hell, there’s even one from when the new pope was named — and that was in early May. People already got this in the mail and now they’re getting it again in his little green bag.
At least $8,100 seems to have gone to Reyes del Mamey, for the typical Cuban fruit Diaz de la Portilla has been passing out at senior housing and dropping off at doorsteps — most recently, with a can of milk so voters can make batidos de mamey.
How sweet.
Maybe they should write a thank you note — to the Centners.
The post David and Leila Centner give fresh $100K to Alex Diaz de la Portilla PAC appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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Attorneys for former Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla will have to wait a little while if they want their $1.3 million from the city’s taxpayers, because his successor, Commissioner Miguel Gabela, wants the city to more carefully review the invoices.
The city commission could have approved the payout on Thursday, and Gabela said he understands that the city is technically liable because ADLP was a sitting commissioner when the accusations were made and he was suspended after being arrested on charges that included bribery and money laundering. But Gabela was able to convince his colleagues to defer 4-0 (Carollo stepped away) so an outside attorney can “go over the records that have been submitted to us,” because, well, they seem sus.
“Look, it’s clear that we’re going to pay. That’s not in play. The question is how much are we going to pay, and what is fair and what is inflated,” Gabela said. “This isn’t going to be settled today.”
He suggested the appointment of an independent attorney “to examine what has been given to us on the bill, and make sure what is in there is correct what is incorrect is taken out, and then we decide on a number.
“It’s a question of a dollar amount,” Gabela added, as if we didn’t already get that he wants a second opinion.
Doing the math, if all the attorneys were each paid $500 an hour, they would have had to work 2,600 billable hours between them on ADLP’s defense. That’s dedication! Maybe that’s why Diaz de la Portilla got off?
The bill the city got was divided into six parts, for five different lawyers and then a separate and unclassified $110,000 with no attorney’s name attached, that everyone assumes is for Diaz de la Portilla’s time and trouble.
Read related: City of Miami may pay $1.3 mil for Alex Diaz de la Portilla’s criminal defense
The lion’s share of the ADLP legal fees, or $705,055, goes to Kuehne Davis Law and his main attorney, Benjamin Kuehne, who also represented Commissioner Joe Carollo in the federal First Amendment lawsuit that got the two Little Havana businessmen a $63.5 million judgement, the appeal of which was lost just last week
The rest of the monies would be spread out as such:

$208,000 to Collazo Law Firm and attorney Yesenia Collazo, the former chairwoman of ADLP’s Proven Leadership for Miami-Dade PAC, who also got a questionable $175,000 grant from the city’s anti-poverty funds from the former District 1 commissioner five months before he was arrested.
$121,723.33 to Susy Ribero-Ayala, who was already paid $16,110 last summer from ADLP’s PAC and represented him in the civil case on the alleged shakedown for the new Rickenbacker Marina contract.
$98,535 to Richard Diaz., which is also the name of an attorney that has represented Commissioner Joe Carollo.
$86,097.50 to Gunster, a law firm that is friendly with Mayor Francis Suarez, an attorney.
$109,926.81 goes to “costs as reimbursement for legal fees and costs in the case.”

Kuehne was at the commission meeting and spoke during the public comments, just to tell commissioners he was there if they had any questions. But they didn’t ask him anything.
On Friday, the attorney told Political Cortadito that the city’s move to assign a lawyer to review legal bills is a common one.
“While this step will unnecessarily delay payment of the earned legal fees, I will work with the lawyer to expedite the process of obtaining payment,” Kuehne wrote in an emailed response to a request for comment.
“As the Commission recognized, Alex Diaz de la Portilla is absolutely entitled to payment of his legal fees for his successful vindication against the now-dismissed criminal charges. His exoneration was the expected and correct result of his actual innocence.” Kuehne said.
“His legal team is proud to have vigorously represented Alex in the scope of his public service commitment. No elected official should be put through what Alex has overcome in his defense of the weaponized misuse of the justice system. Respect is due the thoughtful and correct decision of the Broward County State Attorney’s Office for recognizing this abuse of the criminal process.”
Read related: ADLP gave $175K in Miami anti-poverty funds to political pal in Doral
Commission Chairwoman Christine King wanted to just sign the checks. “One thing I don’t want to see is this drag out,” she said. “I’m satisfied that the bill is fair.
“This was a horrendous miscarriage of justice. Horrendous! It just goes to show what can happen when people overreach.“
Wait a minute. Let’s back up.
Diaz de la Portilla was arrested in September of 2023 after investigators learned that he and attorney William “Bill” Riley, a lobbyist for The Centner Academy, had funneled more than $300,000 in payments to the commissioner’s political action committee, and his lavish lifestyle at the luxury East Hotel in Brickell, in exchange for the school’s near total control of a public city park. There were thousands of dollars worth of food ordered from room 801 and a rented a penthouse and several guest rooms rented for a watch party for Renier Diaz de la Portilla’s failed bid for county commission. There was an all-expense trip to Boston for ADLP and his then girlfriend, now estranged wife in a bitter divorce battle.
There are receipts.
“But he was not even charged,” King moaned at the meeting, like she could be another one of his delusional groupies.
Um, yes, he was. Diaz de la Portilla was booked into the county jail on 14 charges, including felonies. There were the well-known bribery and money laundering charges, but also counts of unlawful compensation, criminal conspiracy, official misconduct, campaign finance violations, and failing to disclose gifts. The former commissioner, who has threatened to run for mayor, should have been charged with witness tampering, too, after he harassed an ex staffer to keep her from testifying.
The charges were later dropped. But Diaz de la Portilla was originally charged with, it’s worth repeating, 14 different crimes. The only miscarriage of justice here is that there was never a trial. But that’s because our esteemed Miami-Dade State Attorney Kathy Fernandez Rundle had yet another conflict — she knew Riley’s family — she had to pass the case along to Broward, where the prosecutors didn’t care as much and just decided it was not worth their time and effort.
Read related: Miami’s Alex Diaz de la Portilla arrested on corruption, pay-for-play park deal
Gabela, who beat Diaz de la Portilla in 2023 with a comfortable 8-point lead to take over the District 1 seat, is taking the time and effort with the bill. He said it was not political. “For me it is not a question of who is right or wrong. I’m not even touching that.
“I’m tired, since I got here, of paying attorneys fees left and right, left and right, left and right,” said Gabela, who compared the city’s legal expenses to a piñata party and has also questioned the legal fees paid by the city for the civil case against him filed by Diaz de la Portilla, over his residency requirements, and the whistleblower case against Carollo by the two former Bayfront Park Management Trust employees who said they were forced to resign after they found financial discrepancies that indicate the commissioner abused his power as the chair of the agency.
Gabela has also asked for the city to seek reimbursement from Carollo for defense fees in the civil case brought against him by two Little Havana businessmen, which he lost the latest appeal on. Those expenses are estimated at around $5 million.
“I wonder who’s making a referral fee here,” he quipped Thursday. “This should be examined because this isn’t coming out of our pockets. It’s the taxpayers at the end of the day.”
City Attorney George Wysong read the statute that requires the city to pay “reasonable and necessary” costs for a case that stems from something a city official or elected did while on the job. “This case is eligible for reimbursement,” Wysong said.
Eligible? Maybe. It’s arguable if conspiring with the owners of the school to give away a public park for hundreds of thousands of dollars is part of a commissioner’s job. But okay. In Miami, maybe. Reasonable? That’s the issue here.
“It’s a question of the dollar amount,” Gabela said.
Wysong said he will get an “independent counsel” to look at it and come back to the commission with a recommendation in September, “based on a thorough review of the bill.”
In a text message Friday, Diaz de la Portilla told Ladra that he welcomed a second look. But his answer also seemed to warn that the city should be careful what it asks for.
“I want the same. He and I agree,” Diaz de la Portilla said, referring to Gabela. “It’s a tally closer to $2.2 million, without punitive [damages].”
The post Attorneys for ADLP must wait for city’s ‘thorough’ review of $1.3 mil legal bill appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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Miami taxpayers may end up on the hook to pay more than $1.3 million in legal defense fees for former Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla, who was suspended from office by the governor after his arrest almost two years ago on bribery and money laundering charges that were later dismissed.
Diaz de la Portilla and lobbyist William “Bill” Riley, who worked for The Centner Academy, were arrested in September 2023 and accused of funneling more than $300,000 to the former commissioner through his political action committee and meals, alcohol and accommodations at a luxury hotel in Brickell, in exchange for his sponsorship of and voting on an item that would give the school control of a public park. It was a scam that never came to fruition after ADLP’s arrest.
The case was transferred to Broward (again) because, technically, Miami-Dade State Attorney Kathy Fernandez-Rundle had a personal relationship (again) with Riley. But in reality it’s because she is either lazy or complicit with all the corruption in the county. There is no other explanation why that office isn’t booming. And Broward botched it.
Read related: Public corruption charges dropped against Miami’s Alex Diaz de la Portilla
The lion’s share of the ADLP legal fees, or $705,055, goes to Kuehne Davis Law and his main attorney, Benjamin Kuehne, who also represented Commissioner Joe Carollo in the federal First Amendment lawsuit that got the two Little Havana businessmen a $63.5 million judgement, the appeal of which was lost just last week.
The rest of the monies are distributed, as per the resolution before the city commission Thursday, as such:

$208,000 goes to Collazo Law Firm.
$121,723.33 goes to Susy Ribero-Ayala, who was already paid $16,110 last summer and also represented him in the civil case on the alleged shakedown for the new Rickenbacker Marina contract.
$98,535 goes to Richard Diaz.
$86,097.50 goes to Gunster, a law firm that is friendly with Mayor Francis Suarez, an attorney.
$109,926.81 goes to “costs as reimbursement for legal fees and costs in the case.”

The city attorney’s office “has investigated and evaluated this case and has approved the recommendation of this settlement,” reads a memo from City Attorney George Wysong to the mayor and city commissioners. It’s on the consent agenda for Thursday, which means the administration does not expect any discussion.

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Ruling says it was part of his job

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If there ever was a municipality that needs an independent inspector general, it is the city of Miami.

One commissioner who was suspended after his September arrest on 11 felony charges, including bribery and money laundering, in connection with is vote to give away a public park. Another former commissioner is being investigated for promising a city job in exchange for an endorsement. The mayor is embroiled in an FBI investigation over other bribery allegations in “consulting” payments made by a developer who was seeking permits and concessions from the city at the time. And the city manager has given incomplete accounts of the hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of office furniture that the city has purchased from his wife’s family business.

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Miami City Commissioner Miguel Gabela wanted the city to stop payments to attorney Ben Kuehne in cases where he was representing former Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla in civil court. Kuehne is also Diaz de la Portilla’s attorney in his felony criminal case on money laundering, bribery and other public corruption charges.

But before he could vote on a resolution he brought to the commission last week, he got news that ADLP had already replaced Kuehne with former Miami Lakes Mayor Michael “Muscles” Pizzi, who was charged with federal bribery and extortion charges himself, caught in an FBI sting plotting to take some bogus grant money in 2013.

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