U.S. Carlos “Cry Baby” Curbelo will be among friends and supporters 
when he speaks today to the construction community at the Latin Builders Association’s monthly luncheon. He will likely even be among some constituents. Certainly he will be among contributors to his campaigns.
But will he be among clients?
Ah, this we don’t know because Curbelo has hidden his lobbying clients’ list by putting his company, Capitol Gains, under his wife’s name — something he said he won’t change.
Read related story: Carlos Curbelo hides lobbying client list under wife’s skirt
Curbelo said he switched his company to his wife’s name due to the advice of Senate attorneys when he was working for Sen. George LeMieux. But he never changed it after leaving the Senate payroll and becoming a Miami-Dade School Board member. Furthermore, he said he has no plans to change it back to his name now that he is a congressman. That means that he does not have to disclose the major clients because he can continue to hide them under his wife’s skirt. It’s her business, after all.
While Curbelo may have poo-pooed this issue successfully while he was campaigning for the congressional seat — and, let’s face it, former Congressman Joe Garcia had heftier ethics questions hanging over him — it may be a bigger deal now that he is in Washington, spending big money and helping to set national policy.
Members of the largest Hispanic construction association in the country and their guests today will hear about the current status of transportation and infrastructure as it affects not only the 26th Congressional district but all of the United States. But will there be a ulterior agenda message underneath?
Read related story: Carlos Curbelo client list could include Venezuelan insider
Ladra hears something like, “I’ve got an in on billions of dollars worth of road and highway jobs, wink, wink, nod, nod. And nobody has to know if you decide to hire my wife to help you get this or that contract.”
Does Ladra know that is going to happen? No. But do we know it’s not happening? Exactly!
And Ladra, the suspicious bitch that she is, figures it is happening Especially since the first official public speaking engagement Curbelo has as a congressman — which by the way is preceded by a cocktail hour at noon(!) — is with the LBA! Certainly there are members there who will slip him their business card if they are not clients already. Is this PR for his lobby firm?
Read related story: Who are some of Carlos Curbelos’ business partners?
And does Curbelo’s firm still represent Areas S.A., the company with ties to Cuba that he got a multi-million contract for concessions at eight Florida Turnpike service plazas? Because Ladra is also willing to bet that those transportation and infrastructure projects also include service plazas.
Of course, none of this would be an issue if Curbelo just did the right thing and put his company under his own name and disclosed the major clients. That’s why the disclosure laws are there to begin with.
The LBA monthly luncheon is at the Miami Airport Convention Center, 711 NW 72nd Ave, at 1 p.m. (after the cocktail hour at noon).
Carlos Curbelo talks to LBA members — and maybe clients added by Ladra on
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