Miami-Dade Commissioner Bruno Barreiro was facing a sorta soft recall movement — but that was before 
Thursday, when a Daily Business Review story sort of put a flame under that kindling.
According to the DBR, Barreiro’s district office in Little Havana — suite 130 at 1454 SW 1st Street — is in a building owned by his parents, who would be collecting rent payments from the county for just over $40,000 a year. According to property records, it shows that Bruno and Alicia Barreiro bought the property in 1982 for $325,000.
The story in the review by Eleazar David Meléndez also mentioned that Barreiro failed to include information on his financial disclosure forms that he cosigned a $300,000 mortgage for Javier Cruz, a regular Republican campaign contributor.
Barreiro poo-pooed the newspaper’s findings and said that he has nothing to hide. He told Meléndez that the relationship with his parents and the office space situation is well known — even having been made a campaign issue — though Ladra doesn’t remember hearing about it.
But several ethics experts quoted in the story said that there may be a problem here.
“These findings suggest that the commissioner may be improperly exploiting his public office for his own private benefit and that of his family,” said Anthony Alfieri, a University of Miami law professor who founded and directs the university’s Center for Ethics and Public Service. “The conduct deserves scrutiny by the Miami-Dade County Ethics Commission at a minimum.”
Ethics Commission Executive Director “Let ‘Em Go” Joe Centorino said in the story that Barreiro never sought an opinion. Barreiro told the reporter that he would now.
Too late, commissioner. It seems that at least one activist who read the story may be filing a complaint. And you better believe the the people behind the recall will capitalize on it.
Read the rest of the story here.
And stay tuned. We are sure there will be more to come on this.
Bruno Barreiro’s district digs, mortgage draw questions added by Ladra on
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