Both former Mayors Steve “Shhhhh” Bateman of Homestead and Michael “Muscles” Pizzi of Miami Lakes — who were arrested in August on separate public corruption charges — sent holiday greetings via email to their friends and supporters.
Pizzi, who has used Gmail to communicate with his peeps before, sent his note Dec. 31, and it reads more like a resume than a New Year’s message. He boasted of the accomplishments by his administration — before he was arrested on federal charges of bribery for taking more than $6,000 in kickbacks to fix a bogus grant application — and doesn’t mention the scandal.
He has repeatedly said he did nothing wrong and has pled not guilty.
But the inference was there.
“Nothing else that happened this year takes away from my great sense of joy as I watch our Town flourish under the programs that we initiated and all the things we talked about the State of the Town address got done,” Pizzi wrote in what sounds like a campaign piece. “Going to the ribbon cutting does not matter, but helping the people does. That is all that ever matters.”
Reached by the Miami Herald, Pizzi stood by his email, though maybe he sounded a bit bitter. “I think everyone in Miami Lakes is aware of what happened to me,” Pizzi is quoted by the Naked Politics blog. “I can assure you that I’m aware of it everyday, as is my family. Not a fun Christmas.”
I think everyone in Miami Lakes is aware of what happened to you, too, Mike. You got caught taking $3,000 from a lobbyist in a closet after you paved the way for the bogus grant monies in the Lakes and in Medley, where you were town attorney.
Both emails make it seem like each man believes he can come back to politics, though.
Bateman’s email was even designed on a PDF and he, too, starts by taking credit for programs and projects and holding the line on taxes. He also asks folks to support the new mayor and council.
But Bateman did mention his arrest, though he called it “legal issues.” And he, too, is innocent, by the way.
“With respect to my legal issues, I believe that justice will prevail and that I will be exonarated. Our American justice system works well, and when I have a forum to explain my side of the story, I will be vindicated,” Bateman writes, though I am not sure how he can explain taking money from Community Health of South Florida to push for their projects and bully city officials on their behalf.
My sources say Bateman also sent a Christmas greeting, but I did not get that one forwarded to me.
But I can’t wait to see what kind of Valentine’s Day card these jokers send in February.
Holiday hellos from busted Homestead, Miami Lakes mayors added by Ladra on
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