During his re-election campaign last year, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez could not distance himself fast or 
far enough from then Republican candidate for POTUS Donald J. Trump. Our Republican Cuban-American mayor even urged Trump to drop out of the race and endorsed Hillary Clinton late in the race — in a blatant grab for black and anglo Democrat and last minute undecided votes.
At one point, after he was forced into a runoff, his campaign considered having him change from Republican to Democrat.
Gimenez could have embraced his ties to The Donald, who went on to become president. After all, he once tried to give Trump our public golf course on Key Biscayne and his son, CJ Gimenez, lobbied for Trump in the city of Doral.
An election changes everything for some people and recently those ties have been proudly reclaimed.
Read related story: Carlos Gimenez’s next mancrush giveaway to Donald Trump
The mayor took Thursday and Friday off to travel to D.C. with his wife and son, lobbyist CJ Gimenez, for the inauguration.
For Junior, it’s not just a pleasure trip. It’s business. And it is interesting who his silent partners may be.
CJ announced his branching out into his own lobbying firm earlier this month. Corporate papers for Hemispheric Consulting Group were filed Dec. 22 with the state, listing CJ’s wife, Tania Cruz (who used to be a rabid Democrat, no se ahora) as the registering agent. The company will work on behalf of South and Central American and Caribbean interests who need to lobby the federal government.
Pero por supuesto this was coming. The boy has always used his political ties to his own dad as a business opportunity. You think he wouldn’t use a connection to the leader of the free world? There’s just some doubt as to whether he really branched out on his own.
Ladra didn’t get the press release sent out Jan. 5. Naturally. CJ doesn’t love us. But it was sent to and published by Herald county reporter, Doug Hanks:
“Carlos J. Gimenez, a Miami-based public affairs specialist, announced today that he is part of a team launching Hemispheric Consulting Group LLC, a new entity established to provide guidance, analysis and
advocacy before the Federal government. HCG will focus primarily on foreign policy, international trade, environmental and energy related issues with a strong emphasis on Latin American interests.
Until recently Gimenez served as Vice President and General Counsel of Balsera Communications, a public affairs and media relations firm. A lawyer by training, he previously worked on land use, government relations and regulatory issues as an attorney.
During the last three years, Gimenez served as lead consultant for The Trump Organization’s activities in South Florida and was directly involved in the redevelopment of The Trump National Doral Miami Resort, the World Golf Championship and the Miss Universe Pageant. He also frequently served as a spokesperson for the Trump Organization with English and Spanish media.
“Having worked closely with the President-Elect over the last three years I can personally attest to his laser like focus on resolving issues in a direct and accountable manner. His election presents a great opportunity for the entire hemisphere, not just our country. My objective is for our Hemispheric Consulting Group to be a bridge between North and South as part of that process.”
Gimenez continued, “Latin America will see that the Trump presidency is an opportunity to redefine bilateral relations in a positive and compelling way.”
One of Gimenez’s partners in HGC, Ambassador Julio Ligorria, added, “Our company can bring to Latin America the correct insight into the approach that President-Elect Trump will have. Carlos, our team and I have worked closely over the years and I appreciate how much he understands the importance of strong bilateral relations. We are very bullish on what will come under President Trump.”
Gimenez will serve as Managing Director of HCG.”
It certainly presents an opportunity for him, doesn’t it. And for his Freddy Balsera, too.
See? Some people at first thought CJ’s announcement and the words “until recently” meant he was leaving Balsera Communications, where he “worked” for the past three years as vice president and general counsel. The quotation marks are there because anyone who knows CJ knows that the mayor’s son is not a workhorse. He’s used to coasting because of who his dad has always been — the city of Miami manager, a 
county commissioner and then mayor. I’m not going to say he’s lazy. But because other people have said that, I know he is not known for a super duper work ethic. Hey, I might coast too, if I had a political sugar daddy.
In fact, las malas lenguas say CJ Gimenez only got that job with Balsera because of his daddy and that Balsera was growing tired of him anyway. Maybe it was his teeny weeny work ethic. Maybe it was his instability. CJ is also known to be un fosforito. This post is likely to make him blow up. Maybe it was the bullying he is known for, which was exposed after school board candidates came forward last year to tell the Miami Herald that they were shaken down by CJ, who wanted them to drop out of the race and let his aunt skate in (she won eventually anyway). But the gist is that CJ had become a liability and Freddy was looking for a soft exit.
Read related story: Beware of Carlos Gimenez Jr. at Gables school board forum
Then Trump won the presidential election.
Because, while CJ has been taken off the firm’s drop down menu list for “our talent,” his bio is still on Balsera’s website, the team picture is still up and nothing in that press release states that CJ is not still working with Balsera. “Until recently” he served as general counsel and partner. Maybe now he’s got a different title. Several sources, in fact, told Ladra that he still works at Balsera’s Ponce de Leon Boulevard office and that Freddy — who traveled with him to meet with Trump Jan. 12 — is a silent partner and investor in HCG.
Look at this EFE agency picture from El Pais, where Balsera joins CJ and HCG parnter Ligorria, the ambassador to Guatemala, as well as David Duckenfield, 
president and partner at Balsera, which by the way was — at least at one point in 2015, when Ladra worked with Freddy on a campaign — representing some coffee interests in, where else?, Guatemala. Ladra wouldn’t be surprised if their first project is some coffee bean tax credit legislation o algo asi.
It certainly looks like they’re still part of the same team and working together. This can’t be a happy coincidence.
The Spanish newspaper reported that the men talked about U.S. policy toward Venezuela, Argentina, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. CJ told the Miami Herald that the meeting lasted no longer than 20 minutes. “Obviously I have a longstanding relationship with Mr. Trump and the organization,” he was quoted as saying, social climber that he is. “We had a discussion with folks on his team that thought it would be beneficial for us to sit down with him for a few minutes and bring up issues related to Latin America.
“I think we can create opportunities for business and cultural ties with Latin America,” Gimenez told the Herald.
There’s that word again. Opportunitites abound.
The photo even has a covenient caption that helps them drive the message: “Los expertos latinoamericanos reunidos con Trump.”
It makes sense that Freddy wouldn’t publicize his partnership, or answer any of my phone calls or emails about this new endeavor of his and CJ’s. It would be weird to have Balsera, who advised the Barack Obama campaign in 2008 and 2012 and helped Hillary Clinton with at least one event in Puerto Rico — suddenly touting connections to The Donald now that he’s prez. Balsera is a nationally quoted Democratic supporter and consultant who last year said that Trump, for whom the firm did lobbying and PR during the Miss Universe contest, was no longer a client.
Duckenfield is also blue to the core, having served from 2014 to 2016 as Obama’s Deputy Assistant Secretary in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Public Affairs.
Maybe this is a way that they can have access to and influence on leaders in both parties? Ladra is not the only one who thinks so. “It’s like a DBA of Balsera Communications, but with no real fingerprints or names on paper,” said another lobbyist, referring to a division within a company. “He wants to keep his Democratic business, too.”
But Ladra doesn’t think Trump or his people know about this double-agent hypocrisy. Not yet, anyway. I don’t think they know either that CJ’s dad, Mayor Gimenez, the papa opportunist, publicly urged Trump to drop out of the race because of the groping comments. Or announced, on live TV, that he was endorsing Hillary. Maybe State Rep. Carlos Trujillo, a Trump fundraiser and advisor who may be tapped for an ambassadorship, or other lobbyists should tell him.
Because CJ and Freddy may have some stiff competition. They are certainly not the only South Floridians who can claim 
connections to the guy who is going to be president about midday tomorrow. Lobbyist Brian Ballard — who represented Trump’s interest at the state and was one of his top fundraisers and who may also be tapped for an ambassadorship — comes to mind. As does Sylvester Lukis, Balsera’s former partner.
And those are true believers, there from the beginning. They were with Trump when it was unpopular in Miami-Dade. If anybody wants an inside track to Trump, Ladra would start with those three.
CJ, Freddy and the other silent partners at HCG, whoever they might be, are Johnny-come-latelys who may exaggerate their influence and are only loyal to one party: The green party.
Mayor’s son lobbies Trump with silent, same ol’ partners added by Ladra on
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