Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis finally suspended Miami-Dade Commissioner Joe Martinez Tuesday, three whole weeks after he was arrested on public corruption charges for allegedly taking $15,000 in exchange for sponsoring legislation that would benefit the owners of a shopping center and grocery store.

Martinez, who attended the first budget hearing and voted against it, did not return calls and texts to his phone. But he has previously said that he will speak when he can, by which he means after the trial is over or when the charges are dropped.

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It’s just a matter of when.

Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters on Wednesday, at a press conference about toll rebates, that he will eventually suspend Miami-Dade Commissioner Joe Martinez, who was charged last week with unlawful compensatio. Prosecutors allege he took $15,000 in exchange for sponsoring and writing legislation for a couple of District 11 business owners.

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And has this been cooked so that his replacement does his bidding?

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Miami-Dade Commissioner Joe Martinez spent five hours in jail Tuesday after he was charged with unlawful compensation for having sponsored legislation to change county code restrictions in exchange for $15,000.

Legislation is going cheap these days!

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Miami-Dade Commissioner Joe Martinez, who is scheduled to surrender himself Tuesday to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s office on a public corruption charge, is the victim of a political attack, says his lawyer in a pair of statements that question the timing.

After a five-year investigation, criminal charges will be filed against Martinez Tuesday, Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle confirmed. What charges? We don’t know. Yet. She and Miami-Dade County Inspector General Felix Gimenez will have a joint press conference Tuesday afternoon to provide the details — and soundbites.

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Miami-Dade Commissioner Joe Martinez — who everyone knows wants to run for county sheriff in 2024 — is said to be turning himself in to authorities Tuesday after a five-year public corruption investigation.

Several sources who confirmed this to Ladra did not know who Martinez would surrender to, although the logical answer is the State Attorney’s Office, which reportedly confirmed an investigation relating to the commissioner to Miami New Times in 2019.

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