Before the primary election, many households in State House District 115 were besieged by mailers, mostly from Republican hopeful Vance Aloupis, who won Aug. 28 by touting himself as the most conservative and Republican of the four candidates.
Now, suddenly, he’s not so GOP for the genenral.
A handout being left at homes by canvassers over the weekend is violating campaign law because it fails to disclose that Aloupis is a Republican. And Ladra doesn’t believe for a minute that it’s an honest mistake.
All his mailers have the right and legally required disclaimer, which the state says “must prominently state ‘political advertisement paid for and approved by (name of candidate), (party affiliation) for (office sought)’ or ‘paid by (name of candidate), (party affiliation) for (office sought).”
Notice that in both cases, party affiliation is a must-fill field.
This handout has a photo of his pretty family one one side and a hard working Aloupis on the other with the headlines “A new generation of local leadership” and “A lifetime dedicated to serving our community.” No mention of the GOP.
Some might think this is another sign that Donald Trump has stained the Republican Party and that Aloupis is trying to distance himself from the president. It does, at the very least, seem an attempt to appeal to NPA voters, where this race could be won.
“He is trying to deceive voters at the door,” said Jeffrey “Doc” Solomon, the Democrat running in House 115.
Aloupis was accused of trying to deceive voters during the primary, when he wore a guayabera and played dominos in a Spanish-language TV ad. His main opponent, Jose Fernandez, immediately said Aloupis was trying to pander to Hispanic votes by making himself look Hispanic when he is not.
He is, however, a Republican and the GOP’s handpicked replacement for Michael Bileca, who is termed out. Even if his materials don’t say so.

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Authorities need to investigate the latest campaign finance report filed Monday by Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo, and not because it’s several months late, for which the commissioner should be fined.
One expenditure on the campaign termination report — which closes out the account for the 2017 campaign — smells questionable and should raise eyebrows in law enforcement circles: A $59,820.47 payment for mailers to Tania Cruz on November 20.
Tania Cruz is not a campaign consultant who does mailers, even though she billed almost $100,000 total to Carollo’s campaign for just that. She is an attorney who also got $1,300 paid in the same Carollo report for legal fees, and, more importantly, the daughter-in-law of Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez. She is married to the mayor’s lobbyist son, CJ Gimenez, who has become nearly a fixture in Carollo’s office. She was emailed by Carollo’s attorney against the strong mayor referendum two minutes after he received confirmation the case was filed.
Read related: Mayor Carlos Gimenez clan involved in Joe Carollo lawsuit vs strong mayor
She is also, however, the rumored girlfriend of Alex Diaz de la Portilla, (remember that Boston Police caught them smoking in a hotel room together?) who is said to be the real author behind some of Carollo’s more hateful mailers calling Tommy Regalado a communist and  Zoraida Barreiro a whore.
But those mailers would have been sent weeks earlier, like when Tania Cruz (photographed here talking to Carollo’s wife on the campaign trail) got $3,382 on October 13 or $5,640 on October 23 or $5,880.60 on October 25. At the very  least, they would have been covered by the $17,998 paid on November 6, which was when both Regalado and Barreiro were eliminated anyway.
That’s a total of $39,900 to Tania Cruz (aka Alex Diaz de la Portilla) for the first round.
But another $60K would have covered, more or less, 10 mailers, according to sources who are legitimate vendors and do this kind of thing for real. Ten mailers sent between November 6 and the runoff Nov. 20 against Alfie Leon? Seems unusual, at best, a complete fabrication at worst, that there were 10 negative mailers sent.
Read related: Gimenez family hit in Senate campaign… ADLP’s wag the dog?
“It seems calculated, like that was exactly what was left over at the end of the campaign,” said one legitimate campaign consultant who knows what he’s talking about.
“It’s a shell game. No way they sent 10 mailers at the end like that,” said another.
So what did that money really pay for? Or who did it really go to?
Mail is pretty easy to track down and prove. Even the United States Postal Service should have records. This should not be a difficult thing for the State Attorney’s Office to look into.
Or maybe it can be the 18th complaint against Joe Carollo at the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust?

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Make no mistake. The lack of early voting on college campuses in Miami-Dade is voter suppression.
In defiance of a federal judge who said the Florida ban on early voting on college campuses had a “pattern of discrimination,” and while other counties scramble to provide campus locations, Miami-Dade is not opening any early voting locations for the Nov. 6 election at Miami-Dade, Florida International University (photographed left) or University of Miami campuses. This unwillingness to take action and do the right thing potentially disenfranchises tens of thousands students who are more motivated than ever to vote thanks to Parkland or Trump or both.
“The Miami-Dade County Elections Department has already confirmed its early voting sites for this election cycle, since preparations for large elections begin well in advance. Specifically, the Elections Department has secured the 25 early voting sites for the November 6, 2018 General Election,” Miami-Dade Elections Supervisor Christina White said in a statement Tuesday. Nothing has changed since, Elections spokeswoman Suzy Trutie told Ladra Thursday.
And the 25 locations are an increase from 20 in the primary and 20 for most midterm generals, but was increased to 25 in anticipation of voter growth, Trutie added. One would assume that includes the 41% increase across the state of voters ages 18 to 29 who registered after the high school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Broward.
Read related: Carlos Gimenez abuses power in election interference for lobbyist son
“In selecting early voting sites, the County’s goal is to ensure there is maximum accessibility for all voters,” White’s statement ends.
Well, all voters except students, apparently. And why?
These voters are mostly going to support Democrat candidates. And the Republicans know that. Doesn’t matter what White is registered as. Because Mayor Carlos Gimenez — who last month declared himself the real supervisor of elections so he could do his lobbyist son a favor — is Republican. We know, for instance, that he is raising funds for GOP superwoman Marili Cancio because he registered to solicit for her PAC. So he won’t do the right thing, but it’s not because he can’t. Because he could. He absolutely could make it happen. He’s meddled in elections before.
Remember in 2012 when he suddenly closed the Elections Department voting site on a Sunday as hundreds of people stood in line and then just as suddenly — after much protest and negative news — re-opened it hours later?
Maybe we should have CJ ask him.
Also, FIU did have an early voting site in 2012 at the stadium, where 2,276 people voted. Why would it be so difficult to set that up again? We’re not talking about making it an Election Day precinct. Just a location for early voting. Seems not only reasonable but natural.
State Rep. Kionne McGhee — who is becoming one of my favorite woke electeds — knows Gimenez could make this right. It is why he addressed the mayor in his tweet Wednesday.
“Banning early voting sites on college campuses was ruled unconstitutional. Five major counties have moved to expand EV sites. Students @FIU @MDCollege, and @univmiami deserve a say in the Democracy they’re a part of. What’s the holdup, Miami-Dade SOE and @MayorGimenez.”
The holdup, Rep. McGhee, is that his friends and backers could lose their state races.
Read related: Carlos Gimenez submits late night campaign check
This is one of the many reasons why there should be an independently elected Supervisor of Elections as there are in most Florida counties. But it’s not the only or the biggest reason. When you have a mayor who can declare himself the de facto supervisor of elections so he can grant a week delay in an election calendar to his lobbyist son, you have a problem.
Unfortunately, an elected supervisor of elections is not on the ballot this year. But it should absolutely be on the next ballot, with the caveat that it be a nonpartisan seat. This should be the next priority for the League of Women Voters, the Miami-Dade Democratic Party, Engage Miami and all the other groups that say they are for voter awareness and participation.
Because what we are seeing today is voter suppression under the guise of a logistics excuse.

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There may have been no contributions and no activity in the reports for his political action committee until the $5,000 check from Fisher Island developers in late August, but Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez first began soliciting contributions for Miami Dade Residents First in March of last year.
Maybe he’s losing his golden touch.
According to the form he filed with the county — which last year began requiring that all electeds and candidates for office disclose if they are soliciting funds for a particular PAC or electioneering communication organization, which is a PAC with a different name — he’s been pounding the pavement for almst 18 months.
Gimenez filed what the county calls an MD ED 28 form in June of 2017, saying he had begun to solicit funds for Miami Dade Residents First on March 23 and for Miami First, Joe Carollo‘s PAC, on May 27. The form was filed June 23, which is past the five days that elected and candidates are given from the first day of solicitation to file the document. It’s past 60 days from the first solicitation for his own PAC!
And those dates are so specific: March 24 was a Friday and May 27 was a Saturday. Why were those the days he started soliciting rather than, say, March 1 or May 15
Gimenez did get a notice for the first time violation, even though he is the self-declared head of the elections department. Second time violators are fined but nobody’s done that yet, said Miami-Dade Elections spokeswoman Suzy Trutie. And Gimenez is not alone. After all, 2017 was the first year electeds and candidates had to file these MD ED 28 forms. A few others, including Commissioners Jean Monestime and Xavier Suarez and Sen. Rene Garcia, who is termed out and running for county commission in 2020, also got first notice violation.
Read related: Carlos Gimenez is raising funds for his PAC again — but for who or what?
But nobody is getting as busy as Gimenez, who seems to be renting himself out as a rainmaker. The mayor has filed a total of 9 forms for a total of 10 PACs and ECOs he’s soliciting funds for. That’s right. Ten! Is this really an appropriate side gig for a county mayor who oversees billion in tax dollar spending? Who is he soliciting those funds from? How will we know? So if he gets funds for, say, Florida Senate candidate Marili Cancio — and he filed a report for Friends of Marili Cancio last month — from someone who does business with the county, how will we know its his solicited contribution to her PAC? How will we know what favors he owes?
We won’t.
In fact, he could raise hundreds of thousands of dollars from special interests before him for someone else in a quid pro quo deal where that person — Cancio or someone else — raises then hundreds of thousands for him from someone who wants something at the state level. This is just rife with potential conflicts and bribes. It becomes that much harder to follow the money.
In addition to his own PAC and Carollo’s, Gimenez has filed MD ED 28 forms for the following PACs that reflected the following in the latest campaign reports filed at the county and also at the Florida Division of Elections:

On July 20, 2017, People for Stronger Neighborhoods, which Ladra couldn’t find active in county or state records. The used to be a PAC named People for Stronger Neighborhoods ran by former State Rep. and attorney to the pols J.C. Planas on behalf of county and city candidates. It lists as “disbanded” now but it collected more than $100,000 of its $159,000 after August of 2017, having its best months in September, October and November.
On Feb. 15, It’s All About The Kids PAC, which collected about $110,000 for the re-election of Miami-Dade School Board Member Maria Teresa Rojas, the mayor’s sister-in-law.
On June 5 for Government With Transparency, a state-registered ECO working on behalf of county commission candidate Zoraida Barreiro, which collected absolutely nothing in June, but, coincidentally (not), raised $155,250 of its $262,000 total in May, which is almost six times more the next highest month. Maybe someone made another election document mistake there and he meant May 5? Sure looks that way.
On Aug. 8 for Citizens for Transparency and Integrity in Government, working on behalf of Miami-Dade Commissioner Javier Souto, which raised $70,000 of its $170,000 total after Aug. 11.
On Aug. 10 for We The People, which is County Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz‘s PAC and raised $168,500 in August — its best month ever by far, of its $581,350 bank.
On Aug. 10 for Friends of Marili Cancio, which received one $5,000 donation from Coral Gables tech entrepreneur Manny Medina since then.
On Aug. 10 for All About Florida, former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine‘s failed gubernatorial run PAC, which was a lost cause by then so why bother?
On Aug. 20 for Alliance for A Better Community, Miami-Dade Commissioner Jean Monestime’s PAC, I guess for an 11th hour money pitch.

Of course, one could argue these people now owe the mayor something. Votes on the commission for his budget or his deals. Funds for a future campaign for himself or one of his children. Something at the state level. He’s not taking time out of his busy day to help these people out of the kindness of his heart.  All except for Rojas, who maybe he was strong armed into helping by his wife, owe him for those solicitations.
And, on the flip side of the coin, what does he owe those who answer  his call to contribute to Cancio or to Diaz or to Souto or Levine?
Ladra also can’t help but wonder how much time Gimenez will be spending between now and November making more fundraising phone calls and asking more people for money for his friends. And what he’s going to get and promise in return.

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After almost two years of nada, a political action committee for Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez reported this month that it raised $5,000 in the last days of August, raising eyebrows across the county about what Gimenez, who is termed out in 2020, will do with it.
Will he run for mayor of Miami in 2021 against Francis Suarez, as some have speculated? Is he eyeing the Miami-Dade Sherriff’s seat, an independently elected office that will hopefully be created after it passes voter referendum in November? Is he raising funds for his daughter-in-law Barby Rodriguez‘s rumored run for city of Miami commission (more on that later)?
Or is this just to raise money to help Miami-Dade Commission Chairman Esteban Bovo become the next mayor so the Gimenez friends and family plan is protected?
Or is it simply to fight the Miami strong mayor referendum he has so publicly and vehemently opposed?
All are good options. And it could be several of these at a time. But Ladra thinks the 2021 Miami mayoral race is a good bet.
It’s hard to imagine Gimenez giving up any of the power he has grown accustomed to abusing. He is also his family’s cash cow. I am certain someone close to him is telling him what great name rec he’s got and not to tarnish the brand with a fly-by-night city commission bid by a boozy, badmouthed bimbo who is, really, a long shot in the cold dark.
Read related: Carlos Gimenez abuses power in election interference for lobbyist son
Besides, some might say this is Gimenez’s dream job. This is where he was fire chief. This is where he was city manager. It would make for the perfect trifecta if Gimenez were to end his career as mayor where he started his career as a paramedic so long ago.
Sure, the budget is smaller, so there’s less to go around for everybody on his friends and family plan. That’s why he’s supporting Bovo. That way CJ and his wife and his brother and sister-in-law get to feed from both troughs. (Three, if you count MDX, and you probably should). And, in Miami, there are only three of five people to convince, rather than seven of 13.
Las malas lenguas say that BFFs and international travel mates Ralph Garcia Toledo and Alex Heckler are already making calls, asking for contributions.
The $5,000 contribution to Miami-Dade Residents First was made by PDS Development, the Palazzo Del Sol builders that earlier this year secured a $90 million loan to develop luxury condos on the island. It seems small, especially for someone who raised and spent around $10 million in his last re-election bid. And one might think that he would want to come out the first time after 24 months of nada with a little more than a single figure K.
But it was made the 28th. Which makes us very curious about what the September report will look like.

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