Alice Bravo fined by Miami-Dade ethics board for lobbying on airport contract

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Former Miami-Dade Transit Director Alice Bravo pleaded no contest on Wednesday to an accusation that she violated the county’s ethics code by lobbying two months after leaving her $250,000-a-year county job — rules require a minimum of two years — and she was basically slapped on the wrist by the Commission on Ethics and Public Trust.

The commission found probable cause that Bravo violated the county’s ethics code when she met with Miami-Dade Commission Chairman Jose “Pepe” Diaz in April at the same time as other and registered lobbyists who wanted him to kick out a $50 million contract recommendation for design and engineering services at Miami International Airport — which went to the top two ranked bidders — and start the bidding process over.

She was fined $500 for investigative costs. If that covers the real cost of the investigation then we have a problem.

Know more: Alice Bravo may have illegally lobbied Miami-Dade on $50 million airport contract

Ladra is sure that Bravo’s new employer — WSP USA, which was ranked third in the bid process — is happy to pay such a paltry price for the value that she added just being at that meeting. It’s already worked into the budget as the cost of doing business. She is, after all, “responsible for project delivery,” according to the company website.

The ethics commission is also going to issue a letter of instruction — which is going to do what exactly? Oooooh. A letter of instruction! Didn’t they give her a written opinion before she left the county telling her that she could not do anything that even looked like lobbying for two years?

The Ethics board said she could guide WSP on how to deal with and expect from the county. But she could not make presentations to commissioners or advocate or seek to influence anyone.

“You are simply cautioned against engaging in any action that might  be perceived as advocating or seeking to influence county elected officials or personnel as this would be a violation of the county’s Two Year rule,” the opinion reads. “This prohibition is broad, and covers any activity where you would be publicly identified as part of WSP lobbying team.”

Like the meeting in Diaz’s office. What’s another “letter of instruction” going to do? Bravo either is going to ignore it, at worst, or simply has poor reading comprehension skills, at best.

The complaint, filed by activist attorney David Winker, alleged that Bravo violated the Ethics Code “when she attended, but did not speak,” at the April 15 meeting at County Hall in Chairman Diaz’s office with lobbyists Alex Heckler — who works for Bravo’s employer, WSP USA — and Ralph Garcia-Toledo and Jesse Manzano, who represent the third place finisher, Jacobs Engineering Group. This happened “within two months of her separation from the County, where the purpose of the meeting was to influence Chairman Diaz to take official action or make an official decision.”

County rules require former county employees to wait two years before they can lobby the commission or municipal officials.

Diaz is the one who told Ladra in April that Bravo didn’t say anything at the meeting except hi and bye. But that’s ridiculous. And even if it’s true, her simply being there is influential enough. He knew she was against the bid going to the first two ranked companies instead of her own employer.

“They were against the procurement the way it happened,” Diaz told Political Cortadito days after the meeting. “It’s about a contract the mayor kicked out after months of procurement. They want it kicked out.” 

Know more: Ethics complaint filed vs Alice Bravo for lobbying on county airports contract

Winker said he was somewhat satisfied with the findings, mostly because that is the roughest the ethics commission has been. But he is frustrated that they are unable or unwilling to dole out any real repercussions.

“We need to change the culture in local government from special rules for special people to one of compliance,” Winker told Ladra after the hearing. “A $500 fine for a blatant violation send the opposite message and encourages everyone to ignore the two year lobbying rule.”

In other words, the rule may as well not exist.

Winker said that Bravo, showing a lot of leg here, and her attorney — fellow lobbyist Al Dotson — threw Diaz under the bus and blamed him for the faux pas. Like the chairman should have said something, like he should have told Bravo she couldn’t be there. In fact, the letter of instruction may be sent to everyone in the county as a reminder of the rules.

Elected officers need to know the rules, Dotson told the commission.

No, lobbyists need to know the rules and Bravo did. She was told just weeks earlier in a written opinion what she couldn’t do. That’s why she pleaded no contest. She doesn’t want to be found guilty after an investigation and suffer some draconian penalty or, perhaps, even prohibition from lobbying the county for a certain amount of time.

But that’s exactly what should happen. Because she knew exactly what she was doing. And this ethics commission is going to continue to be a joke if they don’t do something else to discourage this kind of behavior.

Because $500 fines ain’t it.

  Alice Bravo, Ethics Commission, procurement issues