Did you hear the one about the mayor’s campaign consultant working a side gig for a casino giant? No, there’s no punchline. Because it’s no joke.
Up until just a few months ago, Jesse Manzano-Plaza –
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez‘s political strategist, campaign spokesman and chief apologist — had been working for Resorts World and Genting, the Mayalasian New York partnership that wants to build a massive slot house in downtown Miami, for at least a year.
That’s right. That means he had both jobs at the same time.
Wouldn’t that be a classic example of a conflict of interests? The mayor is supposed to represent our best interests. So are his people, by extension. But one of his operatives represents the best interests of a casino giant that wants variances and land use changes so they can bring slots to Biscayne Bay. Or, well, he did until just the other day.
In fact, we wouldn’t even have known about Jesse’s side job — and he would still be working for Genting today — if he hadn’t been forced to quit after his client sued the county (read: us taxpayers) to force the casino a few months ago. And how much you wanna bet his departure is just a leave of absence. There could be his job waiting for him after the election — if he wins.
And how many other clients does Manzano have that could take advantage of his connection to the mayor and the mayor’s leverage with commissioners? We just don’t know. He won’t say. He comes from the Carlos Curbelo school of secret lobbying clients because they used to work together.
Read related story: New purple spindoctor duo: Jesse Manzano & Ben Pollara
But he is also still a junior partner at LSN Partners with Marcelo Llorente and Alex Heckler. They lobbied for CH2M Hill, the engineering firm that won a $139-million contract and which put Ralph Garcia Toledo, the mayor’s BFF and former campaign driver, in a $200-an-hour job at the Water and Sewer Department — $672,000 billed to the county so far since December 2014 — for going to meetings and tracking the progress of certain projects.
Yes, I know. Time to break out the flowcharts. The conflicts of interests that stem from the mayor’s office are hard to track without flowcharts.
Manzano went on live Spanish-language radio in May after the Miami Herald exposed his 
lobbying job with Genting to defend himself. “Unfortunately, I have to make a living,” he said, trying to turn the tables by calling any attention to this obvious conflict a political attack. Because any criticism of him or Gimenez is a political attack, didn’t you know?
But Jesse admitted to having been a registered lobbyist for Genting from 2011 to 2015, when he last registered — which was nine days before getting his first paycheck from the mayor’s political committee. Since joining the mayor’s team, he said he’s only worked as a “communications consultant” for Genting. Yeah, that’s lobbying with a different name. He was communicating with Gimenez in an advocacy role and consulting Genting on how to get the mayor on their side.
Like with $60,000 in campaign donations from Genting and the Capo Group, which owns the Genting resort in Bimini. That’s a good start.
“I am not registered as a lobbyist for the company,” Manzano said in the interview with Roberto Rodriguez-Tejera. “I haven’t been since last year. Precisely to avoid whatever perception that could create.”
Read related story: Jesse Manzano and Carlos Gimenez, together again for 2016
Perception? Perception, bruh? The reality still is that someone close to the mayor and working to re-elect him to office is also and simultaneously working to seek concessions — whether as a lobbyist or as a consultant or as a publicist — for his client, a casino giant that needs access and favors from politicians.
How is this not a conflict? Are we to believe that Jesse didn’t know about the lawsuit coming against the county? Because 
that seems far-fetched. More likely is a scenario in which Genting sought Manzano’s advice on handling public opinion and what in the business is called “crisis management.” It is also likely that Manzano’s very insight into and access to Carlos Gimenez was pivotal to his role. Or is somebody going to tell us that Jesse, knowing Gimenez and having daily contact, didn’t give Genting the best possible work product he could? Or did he, instead, warn the mayor about the lawsuit? How conflicted he must have felt. Exactly.
But the problem really isn’t Manzano. The problem is Gimenez. Because this is a pattern with Carlos Gimenez. The people closest to him have ties to county vendors and developers with big plans to take advantage of us. It is so commonplace and expected now that people regularly refer to these inside deals as the mayor’s “friends and family plan.”
- His lobbyist son works for Donald Trump at the same time as Gimenez wants to give the millionaire presidential candidate a public golf course.
- The company that employs his other son gets a $4 million no-bid contract to re-roof the Adrienne Arsht Center after a leak
- His daughter-in-law Barby lands a job (wink, wink, nod) with another subcontractor for “public outreach” on the same multi-million water and sewer project mandated by federal and state courts that his BFF is living large off.
- His in-laws get multiple no-bid contracts for multi-million dollar construction projects at the airport and elsewhere
- His best friend and campaign finance chair gets a juicy $200-an-hour post for mostly “clerical work,” by his own admission, and has billed the county more than $672,000 in 18 months.
- And now we know his campaign consultant is paid by the casino giant that wants to bulldoze its way onto Biscayne Boulevard. Or was paid until the other day. And will be paid again.
Why do I feel like Ladra’s forgetting someone? This is one of the reasons why the public has lost faith in local government. Because of insider deals and conflicts of interests that erode our trust.
And if Carlos Gimenez is the king of the sweet insider deal, and he is, Jesse Manzano is the court jester. He’s the clever entertainer, or “licensed fool,” used by the king to distract the commonfolk (read: us voters) with magic, storytelling and sleight of hand. That’s what he does when he serves as the mayor’s mouthpiece, which is a lot lately.
Jesse is the one who represents the mayor in public forums (county spokesman Mike Hernandez can only work on campaign stuff in secret, not out in the open). Gimenez nunca da la cara. He is afraid to debate or even face Raquel Regalado, his only real and viable challenger, 
even on air at separate times. So he always sends Jesse or Mike (who has also consulted for private companies and now wants to be head of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, God save us), to respond and speak for him. This week, Manzano has gone on the radio and Spanish-language TV to attack Regalado and defend his boss. After all, Genting is not going to get anything out of Raquel! So Manzano is using a poorly researched and possibly libelous blog post that he planted the seeds of to malign the only real challenge to his ace in the hole for Genting and CH2M Hill and whatever other clients he may have that we don’t know about because they haven’t sued the county yet. Jesse is really just doing his job.
The only question is, which job and for whom?
Who does Carlos Gimenez spokesman really represent? added by Ladra on
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I know you hate Gimenez. I get it but you do realize that going overboard gives the impression that you are either unhinged or desperate. In other words you undermine your own case. I watched Raquel’s interview with the Herald and it was the same, I was shocked. She is usually poised and professional. She came off like an angry ex gf. Get a grip people! Take a freaking breath. You have a case to make. One that may appeal to many but the histrionics make you look bad. Honestly, you guys are coming off like Trump and Paul Manafort.
Overboard? Perhaps what you are feeling is a sense of urgency? Because this election is super important and it is going to have a super low turnout.
This is relevant now. After the election, who cares? We need people to be as informed as possible. Have you noticed that for all your complaint, none of what I said was untrue. That is what is important. Why are people so focused on the messenger and ignoring the message?
Love, Ladra
I hear you but “urgency” and “desperation” are easily confused and the highly negative tone is a turn-off. Tone does matter. It almost looks like your flailing and by focusing so much on Gimenez one can’t help but wonder – so what exactly do you plan to do as Mayor? It makes it seem like vote for me because I’m not him and frankly that’s a pretty weak argument. That’s why I made the Trump comparison – vote for me because I”m not Crooked Hillary – you guys can do better.
Ladra,
You are really taking this personal. Once again, I am not Michael Hernandez. But closer to you than what you think. Close enough that we can sniff each other. Hey can say hello for me to Armando and that witch of a wife Maritza Gutierrez. What happen to their conflict of interest with doing business at the Miami-Dade School Board and the City of Miami.
If you want to meet who I am just let me know. However, my thousands of supported will not be supporting Raquel Regalado. VOTE FOR CARLOS GIMENEZ!
Ladra,
Once again you are full of poop! Mikki Canton is also a lobbyist for Genting and has worked in the past Mayor Regalado’s campaign and currently for Raquelita’s campaign.
Go ahead delete my factual statement.
She is a supporter and, I assume, a longtime friend (otherwise she wouldn’t risk it). But she is NOT working on the campaign as a paid staffer. She is NOT speaking on behalf of Raquel in the media and attacking her opponent. She is NOT a spokesperson or surrogate for Raquel so she does not have to represent the people’s interests. Just like any donor to any campaign. A campaign manager or strategist is different.
Glad to clear that up for you. Try to leave the toddler curse words out of it. Although you are doing better. Thanks for trying.
That said, I am not going to get into a he said, she said with you every single time you decide to make ridiculously thin accusations. I don’t have the time for your self-gratifying nonsense. Maybe your boss sent you to distract me from beating him in the polls so, let’s take up our titillating rapport after Aug. 30?
TTFN, Ladra
And here’s a refresher on exactly what the Pet’s Trust is we voted in Gimenez REFUSES to honor our votes on! PLEASE WATCH AND SHARE WIDELY!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67MLhFjUdOE&feature=youtu.be
Should you and like-minded ‘ardent animal rescuer[s] and defender[s] of truth’ vote for Raquel Regalado, starting on August 15th and through August 30th, WE can RECALL Gimenez!
Everybody in the animal rescue field (save for Alex Munoz and his cronies at MDAS who all are on Gimenez’s ‘Friends and Family Plan’ with 40% raises coming in 2017 vs. funding going to the animals or even purchasing one measly xray machine WHICH ALEX PROMISED AND HASN’T COME THROUGH WITH as the county would then be liable for TREATING animals but Gimenez prefers murdering them)are committed to voting TEAM RAQUEL. We are working to get out the 500,000 who voted in 2012 to fund The Pet’s Trust the mayor spit on when he called us ‘too stupid to know what we voted for.’ Gimenez has made a mockery of American democracy by turning Miami Dade county into his own little dictatorship. Let him go back to Cuba where he belongs with another arrogant, aging, ruthless demagogue. Miami Dade county needs fresh blood infused in government from the top down in every department! And to Raquel’s detractors I say: judge her not by her father for she is her own person. Go to her website and Face Book page to learn who she is and what she stands for. She’s done one helluva job on the School Board and will do one hellua job as Miami Dade Mayor!
Please Miami Dade WAKE UP and throw this scum bag in a red plastic body bag like he does tens of thousands of animals he kills annually in his kill shelter and toss him in Mt. Trashmore exactly as he does those innocent dogs and cats! This self absorbed, lying, duplicitous Nazi dictator needs to be sent from the mayor’s office with the ghosts of those hounds and cats he’s murdered braying and biting and scratching at his heels as he retreats in defeat. It’s time to re-take the county for us, THE VOTERS, not the white haired evil incarnate of Lucifer himself. GIMENEZ MUST GO! IN AUGUST VOTE RAQUEL REGALADO MAYOR OF MIAMI DADE COUNTY! It’s time our votes counted NOT the mayor’s ‘friends and family plan’ any longer! WE’RE FED UP AND WE’RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE! If you’re unfamiliar with Raquel please go to her website (http://www.raquelregalado.com/) and Face Book pages (https://www.facebook.com/raquelregalado/) to educate yourself. Raquel is a breath of fresh air in comparison to this stale old Cuban stogie who should have been stomped out long ago. Instead of backroom deals and cronies we need transparency, fresh ideas and an open mind running county government. Raquel will remove ALL Gimenez administrators who hold positions because of connections vs. merit and give us professionals who actually earn their salaries by serving US, we the people, the voters, vs. Gimenez. She’ll also fund The Pet’s Trust WE PASSED IN 2012 GIMENEZ REFUSES TO FUND SAYING WE ‘DIDN’T KNOW WHAT WE VOTED FOR’ that will end murdering dogs and cats n the kill shelter save for true euthanasia when they’re sick. It will also stop the dumping of dogs in the Redlands and Rock pits where they starve or die from exposure, disease, cars, gun shots and poison for this is how Gimenez and his lying shelter director Alex Munoz achieve the lie of ‘90% no kill’ by NOT bringing animals in! We have more than half a million cats living in the streets alone in our county they ignore out there reproducing litters every few months also dying horrendous deaths because of these two men. Show Gimnez we indeed did know what we voted for and don’t appreciate his calling us stupid by throwing his butt out the door! The ONLY way this county will move forward into sunlight is with Gimenez’ removal from office. SO VOTE LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT BECAUSE IT DOES! WE CANNOT SURVIVE ANOTHER 4 YEARS UNDER THIS EGOTISTIC NAZI-LIKE DESPOT!
The face on the commercials and the posters are so creepy when you know the backstory of this”leader’s” volatile and exploitive track record.
Your obsession with the Mayor is reprehensible – focus your attention on all of the candidates, am sure there’s plenty to go around. Your constant vitriol against Mr.Gimenez is not conducive to fact finding unbiased journalism.
The focus on Gimenez is reprehensible? What’s reprehensible is GIMENEZ HIMSELF. And being the head of government he IS who we ALL need to be focused on REMOVING to eradicate the cancer he’s infested county government with. Elaine ONLY writes facts. There’s just so much shit on Gimenez it takes an earth mover to uncover it all hence the prodigious columns! He is an unending source of bull dung and lies and if we don’t oust him from government this month there will be even more. Are you on his ‘friends and family plan’ too? If not then VOTE FOR RAQUEL in August! You won’t have to read about Gimenez ever again! (Unless he, too, goes into old man body building like Alvarez after being driven from office.)
Delio, mi amigo, let me explain if it’s not already painfully obvious: This is not unbiased journalism. Been there, done that, with almost 20 years at the Miami Herald. This is analysis and, sometimes, it is quite biased. But it is an intelligent opinion, gleaned off years of experience, historical knowledge, documents, sources and the ability to see the man pulling the levers behind the curtain.
And yes, I am biased against this mayor. We should all be. I am probably his biggest critic. Because of everything I just noted in this post — which is all true, despite my bias against him, and could probably account for some of it — and lots more. I’m not obsessed. I’m exhausted! His abuse of power and lack of process and his pay-to-play politics and insider deals are so frequent that it makes him an easy mark. And me a busy watchdog!
Focus your attention on the Herald and other media outlets that turn the other way to the mayor’s transgressions if you don’t like what you read here. Because the important thing to remember is that everything I wrote here and everything I write on this blog is true and factual. No matter how I personally feel about his poor performance and lack of leadership.
Love, Ladra
Ladra’s focus on Gimenez is just and necessary; the future of OUR Miami Dade hangs in the balance! If not Ladra who, The Miami Herald? With the obvious smacking them in the face, The Miami Herald seems ‘conflicted’ to aggressively investigate Gimenez. Why?
His behavior is so despicable, that even when his mother is extremely ill and his mother in law has been fighting ( and losing ) against the horrible consequences of Alzheimer for many years, he uses them to announce his transparency and his hard work for all of Miami Dade, he even brags about the police dept, using the retired and not very effective Chief to assert the great dept. he has created ( I guess in his mind ). He is destroying this county BASTA YA
What about the ADMINISTRATIVE CORRUPTION at FOR HIRE TRANSPORTATION
UBER, LYFT, SÚPER SHUTTLE, SIGNATURE AVIATION, THE OLD MAFIA INDUSTRY OF TAXIS and LIMOS in our COUNTY ????
A flow chart would stun this community. who does jesse’s life partner work for. I’d at government-just like the.ENTIRE Gimenez family
Gimenez Pick On Regalado $4,000. and Forgets The $ Four Million Uber Owes and The $ Two Millions That The RER DTPW Fail To charge Uber & Lyft for Been ILLEGAL , The Double Standard of County Corruption *
The Conspiracy Cone of Corruption in #OURCOUNTY