The public corruption charges against Miami Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla and attorney/lobbyist Bill Riley Jr. revolve around the two political campaigns waged by the lawmaker’s baby brother, Renier Diaz de la Portilla: The 2020 race for county commission and a 2022 judicial contest.
An arrest affidavit lays out the scheme as having begun around May 2020 when Baby DLP announced he would run for county commission in District 5 and continue through his campaign for judge last year against incumbent Fred Seraphin. The campaign contributions that investigators tagged as bribery were made to both of The Dean’s political action committees during those campaigns.
Read Full Story
read more
Renier Diaz de la Portilla loses second judicial bid, fourth race in a row
Read Full Story
read more
It’s time for Ladra to make her recommendations for this Aug. 23 ballot. There’s nothing any of the candidates can do at this point to change my mind and early voting has already started.
Hell, more than 100,000 people have voted already (more on that later).
Read Full Story
read more
Haitian leaders have denounced attack mailers attacking longtime Miami-Dade Judge Fred Seraphin, the first Haitian-American judge to be appointed in Miami-Dade, for spreading lies to mislead voters about his false arrest as a teenager. And attorney J.C. Planas filed a bar complaint against former School Board member and judicial candidate Renier Diaz de la Portilla, whose brother designed and paid for the hit pieces that wrongfully call Seraphin a criminal.
Seraphin has repeatedly told everyone that he was racially profiled when he was picked up by New York City Police in 1982, his senior year in college. Charges were never brought against him, but the incident caused him to become a public defender and, later, pursue the bench. He talks about the false arrest at every candidates’ forum and every chance he gets.
Read Full Story
read more
He has not endorsed colleague Jorge Fors in the county commission race
Read Full Story
read more
Former colleague says he used her in a hit piece without her knowledge
Read Full Story
read more
