The commission seat runoff in Coral Gables has gotten nasty with back-to-back hit mailers attacking former Commissioner Ralph Cabrera with lies and innuendo.
They come from the same Jensen Beach political action committee that sent 
three anti-Cabrera pieces in the first round — so we know now they are on behalf of candidate Jorge Fors.
But we don’t know who is paying for them.
Leadership for Florida’s Future has no contributions or expenses listed through March, even though at least one of their mailers landed before March 22. And the next reports, which will reflect any activity in April, aren’t due until the second week in May — which means we won’t know who paid for the attacks until after the election.
That’s not a coincidence. That is by design.
Read related: PAC says it did NOT send hit piece on Ralph Cabrera — so who did?
Fors’ campaign manager continues to insist it isn’t them.
“I have no idea where it comes from,” said Steve Marin, who worked with 
the Leadership for Florida’s Future PAC in 2018 and billed them $63,000 for what he said was work on state primaries.
“I work with 20 PACs,” Marin said. “I have one print house, one mail house, and if I mail it, I have my number on it.”
It’s not his number on the mailers, but Marin has worked on campaigns the PAC has worked on before.
Curiously, the PAC used a different permit number on the mailers sent in the runoff. Ladra can’t find out whose it is — but the Florida Division of Elections or the State Attorney’s Office, which has been asked to look into it, could.
The PAC is run by Michael and Debbie Millner, who told Ladra they didn’t send the first one in March. Subsequent attempts to reach them have not been successful. And they have not returned several messages, so perhaps we shouldn’t believe it.
Read related: State attorney looks into mystery mailers in Coral Gables election
After all, Leadership for Florida’s Future is known for its negative shady work, 
mostly (if not exclusively) on behalf of Republican state candidates, as far away as Orlando and Sarasota. Closer to home, the PAC was used in 2017 by the Jose Felix “Pepi” Diaz campaign for the special senate race against Annette Taddeo.
Diaz also had Marin as a consultant.
And political observers have pointed out that the mailer used the same font as another Marin client, Andrew Vargas against State Rep. Javier Fernandez in House District 114 last year.
So what’s the interest in this little ol’ Gables race? Who is paying for the Cabrera hits?
It could be developers and real estate interests, some of whom have already 
contributed to Fors’ campaign, according to his latest campaign report. Because while Ralph is for smart development, he has said repeatedly that he would defend and stick by the city’s current and strict zoning code.
It could be the hourly no-tell motels who, like Fors, are against annexation of Little Gables, where one of those establishments flourishes.
Whoever it is, however, is lying.
One of the mailers says Cabrera is pro development But photos used to scare the anti-development voters are of Brickell Avenue, not downtown Gables. And, as stated earlier, Cabrera vows to hold developers to as of right density and height standards, not an inch more.
Read related: In House 114 race, Andrew Vargas won’t speak for himself; lets PACs attack
The other mailer brings up an old and unsubstantiated accusation against Cabrera from a resident who was angry that he wasn’t able or willing to close her street. Police investigated the incident and, after witnesses told them it never happened, found it to be bullshit.
“Exceptionally cleared” is what it says in the police report, which changed the woman’s status from “victim” to “reporting party.” She didn’t even go to the police right away because first she wanted to talk to her lawyer.
But Fors and those in his campaign want to keep as many Cabrera voters as they can from the polling places Tuesday. They know he will perform better on Election Day. And they can’t afford that.
This is voter suppression and voters would be wise to ignore it.
Secretly funded PAC attacks Ralph Cabrera with mystery mailers, lies added by Ladra on
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[…] Read related: Secretly-funded PAC attacks Ralph Cabrera with mystery mailers, lies […]
No more free lunch for you, Ms. Cruz. You will not get away with terrorizing our community with falsehoods and scare tactics any longer. Anytime you continue to repeat falsehoods, I will be here to set you straight.
Accusing someone of committing fraud is a very serious accusation. Either you do not know the definition of fraud or you play fast and loose with the truth. Mr. Fors self reported and voluntarily paid his taxes. He deserves an award for that. No one else in town would ever do that, politician or otherwise. Contrary to the smears you spread, he did this without needing prompting from anyone. And now you make outlandish claims about voter fraud. Be careful you find yourself on the wrong side of a libel suit Ms. Cruz. No more free lunch for you, maam. Maybe you can get Mr. Thompson to defend you. Oh wait, he is not allowed to practice law because he was disbarred.
As I mentioned before, you are the worst type of citizen. One who aims to misinform their neighbors for personal gain. You are the Baghdad Bob of Coral Gables. Baghdad Cruz!
All we know for sure is that Mr. Cabrera is funded almost wholly by developers and lobbyists. He is totally bought and paid for. He is also a nasty person with a laundry list of moral deficiencies that couldn’t muster more than 39% against a bunch of new comers with zero name id. This is the guy you decide to roll in the mud for? Only one world for that! C-R-A-Z-Y!
BTW, my malas lenguas comments are sarcasm to show the same “reporting” standards used by Ms. Ladra. Somehow you missed that. For the record, this is what a fair article on this race reads like.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/coral-gables/article229424694.html
By the way, Mr. Niebla, “las malas lenguas” is just a phrase I use to mean sources. I know it means more like gossip, which is sometimes what we have, but it doesn’t make it false. I like to pepper my posts with Spanish and I love the phrase because I usually write about bad people, like your friend, Mr. Fors. If you like sarcasm so much, you should have gotten that.
Love, Ladra
A few minutes ago I spoke with MANNY, his name is Manny Niebla, and he happened to be at the Country Club when I went by this afternoon. He informed me that he had replied to my post and that Ms De Valle had deleted it. I am not sure that is the case, but if it is I would like to see what he posted.
He also told me that he only used his first name but I could have gotten his complete name and email address by requesting it from De Valle. He spoke very badly about Political Cortadito and I reminded him that Mr. Fors had an ad on it. He said “Mena paid for it,” and when I said ” Mena did?” He backtracked and said that they both have the same political consultant and he was the one who paid for them. (Yes, Commissioner Mena had an ad also.)
Maria, I did not delete but did “unapprove” the post because I thought it was over the top threatening to you and an effort to silence you and I don’t like Political Cortadito to be used to bully anybody except Ladra. Ladra can take it. But I did not want you to feel harassed or threatened by this man.
It is very interesting what he said about Mena paying for Fors ad. That is illegal also. I am not sure because I was paid for both ads by their common consultant, which is Steve Marin. The ad was not paid straight from the campaign but from Marin’s account. But if he used Mena’s funds, because Commissioner Mena did not have an opponent, that would be illegal. I am not surprised. Mr. Fors likes to do illegal stuff all the time.
One thing you did get wrong before is that he has not committed voter fraud. He was registered to vote where he lived. So he committed homestead fraud because he was not living in Little Havana. At one point, Ladra said he either committed voter fraud or homestead fraud because he couldn’t live at both places. But ding ding ding, homestead fraud won!
I have no problem with Manny speaking badly of Political Cortadito. He has an axe to grind and it is obvious. I am sure he would love Cortadito if I had backed his friend.
In hindsight, I am going to approve his message. Especially since he now says that Mena and Fors comingled funds and did something illegal — perhaps his threat ought to be on the record as well.
Please let me know if anything else happens.
Love, Ladra
[…] Read related: Secretly funded attacks Ralph Cabrera with mystery mailers, lies […]
Fors = fraud ; traffic tickets , homstaed exemption fraud , fraudulent.
Ralph’s biggest problem is the fact that he’s spending big advertising $$$$ touting Dorothy Thompson’s endorsement. Do we really have that many 93 year old voters in Coral Gables that will be swayed by that? Damn, I voted absentee for Ralph (and even gave him a few bucks), but this advertising is LUDICROUS!
Manny, no need to disclose your last name, what are you afraid of? I don’t hide; I post my full name. Does that make me crazy when a man like you is afraid to do so?
No shred of evidence on the PAC? Only that Marin has been known to use it for other campaigns! What a coincidence!
False information about Fors, are you talking about the multiple homestead exemption violations? Voter fraud?
It is very easy to accuse anyone, but in this country you are innocent until proven guilty. Cabrera was accused, investigated, and cleared. That was it! No criminal case, no civil case!!!!!!
So far we have seen admission of several homestead exemption fraud instances, fines and taxes paid by Fors, lengthy driving violations seen on his official record, open BAR investigation, voter fraud as per voter registration records, etc. What is false? It is easy to accuse, but facts are facts and lies and accusations won’t change them.
I certainly don’t know how you decide who is crazy. Perhaps that is a way to dismiss those who do not agree with your ideas, but we will never know since you hide under a name that may or may not be your real name.
It is certainly despicable to attack someone for repeating what has been printed before while repeating what “las malas lenguas” supposedly say. You can’t have it both ways, Manny, Saul, Mike, Pedrito or whatever your real name is.
I would like these Candidates to publicly state their position on the proposed parking garage redevelopment(s) on Andalusia.
Sincerely,
Jackson Rip Holmes
Hmm : Great Debate with everyone. This stuff of concealing who paid for the mailers is typical Miami Dade County Politics ! A huge problem is all these investigative agency’s kick the can down the road so the people running the Agency won’t take a hit politically to save their own behinds ! We need a real independent investigative arm to have true accountability !
I was curious to read Ms. Cruz’s response to the mailer. Disappointment is an understatement.
I agree he was exceptionally cleared, but as most things political, one must use some deductive reasoning to make up one’s mind. Am I suppose to believe that some little old lady made this story up as political pay back? And that the only witness is Mr. Cabrera’s “friend” who happens to be a police officer? The main reason this story is believable is that it sounds like something Mr, Cabrera would do.
According to las malas lenguas, he is a nasty dude and has many, many, enemies. It could be any of a dozen people who use can use a pac to unleash these attacks. Regardless, I agree 100% with you. Ladra. Hiding behind a pac is not cool. Blaming Mr. Fors for the attcak without a shred of evidence is also not cool.
There seems to be double standard got Mr, Cabrera’s supporters as to what is and isn’t fair game. They (and you, Ladra) are reaping what you sowed. You all started this by claiming all sorts of false information about Mr. Fors. It just turns out the Mr. Cabrera had far more baggage than any of you thought would come out.
For Ms. Cruz, to say that the accusation of spitting on a woman’s face reminds you of putting a sign on a wrong address is despicable. And further despicable is bringing up a completely unsubstantiated claim that Mr. Fors and his wife have argued in the past. You are a politically intoxicated person and the worst type of citizen. You are so desperate to win that you are willing to roll around in the mud to do it.
All I know for sure is that any candidate that has the backing of our town crazies such as Ms. Cruz and Mr. Thompson is the candidate I want to stay far far away from.
Finally, to claim someone on this forum is posting out of anger that Mr. Cabrera rebuffed her advance is such a nasty thing to say.
Ralph is a career politician, he rsn for.mayor twice and now he want to go for commissioner after already serving, he craves power Fors Jr is a frssh face we have ro vote for a difference!
Here for the NON-BELIEVERS::
Remember the case number is: 07-007854
Coral Gables Police Department
Case Status: INACTIVE CASE Case Mng Status: EXCEPTIONALLY CLEARED
Printed: 02/22/2019 15:13
Offense: INCIDENT REPORT
Here we go again! Thank you, Dian for pointing out that Fors has lived in the Gables for 22 years and that you go by his house daily. How come he had Homestead Exemptions for several of those years on a Little Havana apartment? Did you go by his apartment building those years? Oh,no, he wasn’t living there that’s why he had to pay back the taxes plus fines! Have you changed your walking track? For over a year he hasn’t lived where he supposedly lived for 22 years! What about the year he didn’t have to pay fines because he seems to have proven he lived in Little Havana? Did you walk by there? How come he was registered to vote in Coral Gables that year? The issue as I see it is very simple and these are the questions that come to mind: where did he live all those 22 years that you walked by his house?
Did you say he has lived there for 22 years? Is he only 22 years old? Why do I ask? Because in one of his mailers it’s stated “As lifelong resident of Coral Gables, Jorge Fors understands…..” If he has lived here for 22 years, or over 20, as it is pointed out in another mailer, does that make him a lifelong resident?
The issue again is, where is the truth? Lifelong resident? 22 years? Little Havana apartment for multiple years, or one year? Please! Stop trying to cloud the issue. The truth will set you free, Mr. Fors, not the lies!
Could it be it’s Consulting/ Lobbyist Work That have Touch Unfriendly Groups ? Like TA ?
DEADLINE FOR FORS:
John B. Thompson, J.D., M.A.
5721 Riviera Drive
Coral Gables, Florida 33146
305-666-4366, cell 305-588-3005
[email protected]
April 22, 2019
Jorge R. Fors, Jr., Attorney
1108 Ponce de Leon Blvd.
Coral Gables, Florida 33134 Via e-mail to [email protected], Fax 305-448-5977
Re: Attack Mailers “Paid for by Leadership for Florida’s Future”
Dear Mr. Fors:
I have been in contact by telephone with the Florida Elections Commission regarding the fact that a number of mailed ads, one of which is attached hereto, attacking your Coral Gables Commission opponent Ralph Cabrera which state on their face that they have been “paid for by Leadership for Florida’s Future.”
It is a fact that those associated with this PAC have stated publicly that they have absolutely nothing to do with these mailed attacks ads. See https://politicalcortadito.com/2019/04/22/secretly-funded-pac-attacks-ralph-cabrera-with-mystery-mailers-lies/ and https://politicalcortadito.com/2019/03/22/coral-gables-pac-hit-ralph-cabrera-fake/
It is a fact that the beneficiary of these PAC attacks ads is you. Nobody else is running against Cabrera in this run-off election. As a Coral Gables resident and voter, I have full standing to pursue this matter.
The analysis: If Leadership for Florida’s Future is in fact paying for these attacks ads while stating publicly that it is not, that is fraud which may be linked to you and your campaign and your campaign advisors. It would certainly be fraud by this PAC.
If it is proven that Leadership for Florida’s Future is telling the truth in its statements that it has nothing to do with these ads and in fact some individual or some entity tied to you and/or your campaign is paying for them, that is fraud linked to you which can result in certain remedies, including a voiding and vacating of the election results should you win.
If that is the case, the ruse behind it would be to make it appear that a third-party, neutral entity is concerned about your opponent’s ethics, thereby making such concern appear to be more legitimate.
Voters ha a right to know what is going on here, even though it is convenient for you to be passive in allowing unknown others to falsely attack your opponent. History shows that some of the greats sins are acts of omission, not commission.
Therefore, please advise by email to [email protected] by one o’clock p.m. today, April 22, a) whether or not you and/or your campaign has any link of any kind to these mailed attack ads, and b) what knowledge you have as to who is paying for them.
Finally, you sent out an email this weekend stating that “We must bring ethics back to our government” and “I vow to … return integrity…to the government of Coral Gables.”
Any person allegedly keen on “integrity” in government, who is benefiting from false attacks ads whose alleged sender has completely disavowed them would refuse to discharge his (your) absolute affirmative duty to get to the bottom of who is sending these mailers that benefit you.
In the 2000 Republic Presidential primary race, it was alleged by secret individuals to South Carolina voters that John McCain had fathered an illegitimate mixed-race child. Individuals and entities connected with the George W. Bush campaign were spreading that lie while claiming they were not. George W. Bush had a duty to get to the bottom of that. He did not. His unethical nonchalance probably cost McCain the 2000 Presidential nomination of his party.
You have a deadline.
Regards, Jack Thompson
Copies: The Florida Bar
Leadership for Florida’s Future
Coral Gables officials
Florida Elections Commission
Eleventh Circuit State Attorney
Media
United States Postal Inspector
Ralph’s divorce ended so well his ex and girlfriend were chatting away on election day at the country club. Nice try!!! But please, don’t go there. Leave children and family OUT OF IT! Shame on you. There are other’s on the commission that have been divorced…. so???
Who cares if Fors fought?? That’s between him and his significant other. The same should apply to anyone in office. That’s personal and not an indicator of how he/she will make decisions for Coral Gables.
However, cheating on taxes and covering it up is an example of how someone could lie and cover up things in government. We have too much of that going on now and we don’t need another slick attorney on the dais.
Boy oh boy!! The houry motels on SW 8 street, who are on first name basis with every prostitute in the area are REALLY worried to sink this low. Of course with Mr Fors tagging along. Maybe Mr Fors rents and hour or two to rest his head and remember where he actually lives.
As a woman, I make my decisions based on facts. Not underhanded propaganda funded by special interest groups such as the hourly motels who cater to elements that make that area a dangerous and undesirable.
I have known Ralph Cabrera for a very long time. He is decent, honest, professional and experienced. That is what I am basing my vote, as a woman and a person.
The police report says that Ralph was Biking with one of his police buddies. Also, there is no mention of Ralph being cleared if anything. Ethics violations, spitting at fellow residents, abusing political power, how can you support him?
Are you also concerned about Ralph’s divorce? Do you think they yelled at each other on the way out?
I don’t believe false reports about an unnamed people claiming that Fors fought it his Coral Gables apartment.
Get your facts straight Maria, Fors has lived in Coral Gables for 22 years. I walk by his house all the time.
“I walk by his house all the time.” So what? I walk by City Hall all the time. Does that make me a crook?
No mention? It says “exceptionally cleared” in all caps on the top of the report. You don’t believe false reports from unnamed people about Fors but you believe something the police already determined was a bogus accusation?
Also, Maria is being sarcastic about Fors’ home because, while he lived in Coral Gables for all those years — except the years he was getting in trouble for drinking in Gainesville — he claimed a homestead exemption on a condo in Little Havana so he could pay fewer taxes on it. Not just once. But for at least eight years. This is something you have to fill out each and every year, so you can be pretty sure it was not a mistake that he fixed this year out of the blue.
Ladra knows you are not naive. You just have an axe to grind. Hopefully, others will see right through you, too.
Bye Felicia.
As a woman I check the information before accepting it and speaking about it. I did check and even obtained the police incident report where Ralph was CLEARED! Bringing this up at the last minute is another dirty trick because there is no time for the candidate to defend himself. Here is the CG case/incident number
07-007854. Please ask for it and you will see through the trick!
By the way, as a woman I was also worried about a previous comment about Fors and his then girlfriend, now wife, getting into loud arguments while living in the Little Havana apartment. But you never saw or heard any reference about it in any campaign literature. I just brought it up because you seemed honestly concerned about this false accusation and didn’t seem to know about the one about Fors.
Maria! You too? As a smart progressive woman how can you say such things? Am I expected to only believe the negative pieces against Fors, but not against Ralph?? This is classic Ralph behavior and frankly I am disgusted. He has a daughter and should come out and apologize to his victim!
Dian, pay attention, please: Mr. Cabrera was investigated for this and cleared. He was “exceptionally cleared,” which means not only was he not likely to have done it but that HE DID NOT DO IT. As you one of the people that thinks we didn’t land on the moon, too?
The Leadership for Florida’s Future mailing, which this organization says it did not send is patently false on its face. Consider:
When you put on the mailer a skyscraper not in Coral Gables, that’s rather bad, don’t you think?
Secondly, the description of him as a “Career Politician” is false on its face. He served on the Commission once upon a time, and he has earned a living outside politics before and since. By this definition, Fors will be a “career politicians” once he is elected even though he practices law to earn a living.
Mr. Fors, if he were acting responsibly, would get to the bottom of what secret organization is sending out these hit pieces, especially since he is the beneficiary of them. Fors this weekend promised to bring “integrity” back to government in Coral Gables. Oh really? Then why doesn’t he find out who has hijacked this secret donation stunt?
No surprise here! When politicians, or like in this case a wanna be, find that the truth won’t help their candidacy they retort to lies and dirty tricks! This reminds me of the placing of political signs in front of properties without permission from the owners. It might have worked someplace else, but not in the Gables, as he realized and admitted. Perhaps if Mr Fors had been involved in our City he would have known, but perhaps not. As an attorney he should have known the rules for filing for homestead exemptions, why did he violate them? Did he not know, or did he choose to violate them? That could very well be the scenario with the secret Political pact. Let’s see what the investigation shows. I’m sure he knows that ignorance of the law will not be accepted as an excuse, not even for ”smart” attorneys’ behaviors. Our voters are very informed and care for our City, he will find out that HERE his dirty tricks won’t work.
As a woman I am flabbergasted that you are trying to sweep this under the rug as a “false accusation.” I did not know that Ralph had threatened violence and spit on anyone and whats even more concerning is that it was a woman! How can ANYONE vote for someone that has done that?
Dian, nothing is being swept anywhere. The police department investigated and determined that it was a false allegation. Cabrera was “exceptionally cleared” after they spoke to a WITNESS who happens to also be a police officer who was off duty. It never happened.
There are a lot of false accusations thrown out at elections. And this shows how desperate Fors is to win.
On the other hand, the mailer that went out against Fors is all true. He actually DID cheat on his property taxes for eight or nine years. This is documented. He even paid nearly $14,000 in back taxes, interest and fines — fines because he violated the homestead exemption rule — in January, just because he was running.
I get that you don’t like Ralph. It sounds personal. Maybe he rebuffed your advances. Whatever. Get over it. He makes a better public servant than a tax cheat and liar.
Love, Ladra.
Dian, you “did not know that Ralph had threatened violence and spit on anyone” because it didn’t happen. You understand people are falsely accused of things, the police investigate, and they get exonerated, right?
We just celebrated Good Friday and Easter. You’re saying Jesus got a fair trial and was rightly executed because he was ACCUSED of blasphemy?” You’re quite the student of history, Dian. Quite the criminologist. Do you watch Law and Order all day?
John B. Thompson, J.D., M.A.
5721 Riviera Drive
Coral Gables, Florida 33146
305-666-4366, cell 305-588-3005
[email protected]
April 20, 2019
The Honorable Katherine Fernandez Rundle
State Attorney, Eleventh Judicial Circuit
Miami, Florida Via e-mail to [email protected]
Re: Fraud and Mail Fraud
Dear State Attorney Rundle:
On March 26, 2019, I formally asked you and your office to investigate fraud as reported in this news piece:
https://politicalcortadito.com/2019/03/22/coral-gables-pac-hit-ralph-cabrera-fake/
Yesterday I received another installment of this fraud as indicated by the attached received via the United States Postal Service. This additional fraud and mail fraud has occurred in part because you and your office have failed to take this serious matter seriously.
Please advise by five o’clock pm, Friday, April 26 that your office has opened a criminal investigation of this matter, or I shall have to contact the Governor’s office in order that he might refer the matter to a State Attorney for an independent review, just as he recently referred a criminal matter in Broward to you because of the incestuous politics up there. You may have the same debilitating conflicts. See http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fl-ne-forman-executive-assignment-20190405-story.html
Personal regards, Jack Thompson
Copies: Media
Career politician is the norm in Miami as is their kids running for office because politics is a lucrative family business here .
God forbid the voters even look at new candidates instead of the same slime .
Worse are los ignorantes , la basura that doesnt even bother to vote .