Political observers knew it was a bad idea to give Miami City Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla the chairmanship of the Omni CRA. Now he is under investigation for having hired a longtime lackey as a ghost employee.
Jenny Nillo, a onetime state senate plantidate and longtime campaign and legislative worker for ADLP, is making around $53,000 as a community liaison. She was hired as soon as The Dean made chairman.
“Of course she does,” Diaz de la Portilla texted Ladra when she asked if Nillo worked at the CRA. “I am the chairman.”
He said he hired Nillo “to keep them straight.
“I discovered some improprieties. I am very concerned,” he texted.
When asked what Nillo does, he wouldn’t be specific. “More than others, including your source,” Diaz de la Portilla scoffed via text.
But authorities have been investigating her for at least three months, other sources say.
“She doesn’t do anything. I’ve seen her once or twice,” said a city staffer who has spoken to investigators but did not want to be quoted by name.
Nillo, who was ADLP’s legislative aide in the Florida Senate, also has a city-issued car, which Ladra was told by several sources was impounded by police on Thursday. Ladra doesn’t know why, but it’s odd that she wouldn’t have been arrested if they towed away her car.
Sources also said that Nillo was being followed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement as part of the investigation into the sham city job — or maybe one of the many other investigations into her boss — when she was stopped. One source said investigators didn’t want to stop her because they were still investigating, but that she was driving so erratically, they felt she was a danger to other drivers.
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Diaz de la Portilla told Ladra that Nillo was stopped for an “illegal turn.”
Yeah, riiiight. Maybe that’s what the officers told her so she wouldn’t know she was being tailed. Ooooops. Hopefully there is enough evidence to charge them already.
Las malas lenguas say that Diaz de la Portilla had to call the city manager to get access to the vehicle. Nillo had picked up his dry-cleaning for his trip to Las Vegas, where he was touring the Boring Co facilities with Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, and it was still in the car.
Diaz de la Portilla denied that story and Nillo could not be reached for comment. City Manager Art Noriega texted Ladra back that he was in a meeting and asked what it was about. But then he didn’t text back after I told him and asked him to call me after the meeting.
It seems, however, that the city of Miami does not do background checks on their employees. Because Nillo was charged in a 17-count federal indictment in 2017 for condo mortgage fraud.
“I don’t hide the fact that I have given many people second chances. I consider it a badge of honor,” Diaz de la Portilla told Ladra, via text. “She’s paid her dues and I am proud of her.”
It’s more like Nillo is his bagwoman and water carrier. She has been for ages.
That’s why the high school graduate was also a ringer candidate in the Republican senate primary against Miguel Diaz de la Portilla in 2010 to syphon votes away from former State Rep. Julio Robaina — ala the sham candidate scam by Frank Artiles y Alex Rodriguez. In fact, Ladra would not be surprised if ADLP was involved in that crooked Senate 37 race. Both he and his brother hate former Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez, who beat both badly in different races.
Several sources tell Ladra that this is not the only investigation into ADLP’s shenanigans. Last year’s sham race could be one of them.
One of the alleged investigations is into his residency — and he can be removed from office if it is found he does not live in the district. Everybody knows he doesn’t live with his brother Renier Diaz de la Portilla, Renier’s wife and their son David at that tiny Terrazas apartment near Sewell Park in the district where he was elected. Las malas lenguas say he’s living at the East Hotel in Brickell and taking meetings there.
Read related: Bank forecloses on ADLP, who ‘moves’ to run for Willy Gort seat in Miami
Another inquiry surrounds an alleged meeting there, where he made a bribe request for a favorable vote on the Rickenbacker Marina bid. Different sources have all told the same story: That the current vendor wants to keep the contract and The Dean asked him, point blank, for $50,000. The feds are on that one.
Ladra didn’t believe it at first. Why would he ask for $50K straight up instead of a contribution to his political action committee, which has raised and nearly spent $1.6 million in the last few years?
But, then again, everyone knows how he hates the paperwork.
ADLP told Ladra there were no investigations.
“Not an ounce of truth. The ‘no-show’ is your source,” he texted. “You are fed false narratives.”
Well, we will very likely find out soon who’s telling the truth.
Alex Diaz de la Portilla is investigated on ghost city employee at Omni CRA added by Ladra on
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