Ethics Commission looks into Miami Beach shakedown PAC

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both Stuart Miller, CEO of Lennar, one of South Florida’s biggest development firms, and RFR Holdings, a New York-based real estate development firm. Levine and Wolfson also got two checks totaling $50,000 from Corona Storage on Dade Boulevard and $100,000 in three separate checks from AOMA, an investment firm in Delaware.

These contributions, in fact, look like investments, so it’s natural they would raise questions. How were these donors approached? What was said in the phone call? Were they promised any quid pro quo?

Hopefully, these contributors are questioned under oath. The vendors and contractors who contributed to the campaign should be sworn in if we are to believe whether or not the donations were investments made in return for favoritism. If they know they are buying access or contracts they aren’t going to give up the goods just like that — especially if they’ve already invested $100K. But common sense tells you they will think twice before committing perjury.

Read related story: Follow up: Shady Miami Beach PAC costs — what for?

Even if it wasn’t said out loud, I am sure that there was a wink and a nod as the checks were passed. It has to be implied that there will be some kind of return on the investment. There is no way anybody gives a PAC $100,000 just because they like the way things are going.

In which case, these contributions are nothing short of bribes — and the investigation needs to be passed on to the State Attorney’s Office.

Ladra thinks that is why Levine — basically a bully still acting like City Hall is his own private business — fought tooth and nail to keep Weithorn from making her motion. The July 8 meeting got ugly.

“Mr. Mayor, I am going to leave. There was a motion and I’m not going to stand for you decide what motion we can and cannot vote for,” Weithorn said.

“I’m sorry your husband is running and you’re upset you cant raise money,” Levine shot at her, referring to Mark Weithorn who is running for commissioner against Levine’s candidate, Ricky Arriola.

“Let’s not get personal. That’s why you’re not married, because you think that’s how it works,” Weithorn shot back.

Levine mumbled something about good government and Wolfson came to his immediate defense, reaching for his copy Robert’s Rules of Order. “If the mayor doesn’t recognize it, there’s no motion,” he actually said out loud.

“With a straight face you are going to hide behind a procedural,” asked Commissioner Ed Tobin, who once seemed to be aligned with the mayor and Wolfson and who seconded the motion, also concerned with the PACs shakedowns.

“The issue is if these contributions are not necessarily voluntary. These people get phone calls and they get phone calls from two elected officials at the same time they have agenda items and then they are asked for a really large sum of money,” Tobin said. “I don’t see it as a free speech issue. The more votes you can control on the city commission, the bigger the ask you can make.”

And he, too, became a target.

“All of a sudden, you’ve become the king of ethics issues and you need to look in the mirror when you are the one who failed an ethics exam when you tried to get into the police department,” Wolfson snapped.

But more than ugly, this exchange is kinda scary. Because what it shows is that Mayor Levine and Commissioner Wolfson, who went to great lengths to silence another duly elected official on the same dais, have no tolerance for dissent, no respect for freedom of speech or checks and balances.

In the end, the motion failed — which has to mean the other commissioners on the dais are either in Levine’s pocket or afraid of his wrath or brain dead. Because getting an opinion from the Ethics Commission is not only warranted after last month’s dust-up, it’s smart and it’s no big deal. Electeds solicit opinions all the time. On everything. Without being forced or even asked to. It’s become common practice.

So what are Levine and Wolfson afraid of?

Quite simply that, at best, they will be scolded by the Ethics Commission with a recommendation that the solicitations are not a good idea because of the perception that there is a quid pro quo going on and, at worst, they will be discovered and identified as the extortionists they really are.

The Ethics Commission ought to be reviewing the tape as part of their investigation. Anybody that tries this hard to keep information from going public has something to hide.

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  Deede Weithorn, Jonah Wolfson, Miami Beach politics, PACs, Philip Levine