And wouldn’t that make her just like ADLP?
In the race for endorsements in the Miami District 2 race, there’s a rumor that attorney Eddy Leal, the former counsel to the city’s mayor, has endorsed incumbent Commissioner Sabina Covo in the runoff against banker and activist Damian Pardo. Leal came in third on Nov. 7, with 15% of the vote, which translates to 1,071 voters.
Another former candidate, James Torres, reported the quid pro quo on the Because Miami podcast with Billy Corben, who posted it on the platform known as Twitter. Torres, who came in fourth with 10% (or 735 votes) has endorsed Pardo.
Covo says it never happened. “It is categorically and unequivocally false what Mr. Torres is alleging. At no point whatsoever did a conversation occur about any employment,” she posted on the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Torres said he got calls from both candidates and sat down with each. He said Pardo asked how he could help, what he could do for the district. Then he sat down with Covo.
Read related: Miami incumbents hold on in election; District 1 and 2 races end in runoffs
“It was very dark and grayish in a way. She said, ‘I need your support. What is going to take?’ And, ‘Can I offer you a position at the Omni CRA as a contractor making a $120,000 a year?”
Sounds very specific.
Torres and Pardo, who was also on the podcast, said the they had made a pact before the election between the three of them — including Leal — to endorse whoever made it to the runoff. In other words, they were both supposed to back Pardo.
“He’s not here today,” Torres said of Leal. “He’s now part of that. He’s now a sellout.”
Leal did not return a call and text message from Ladra early Friday. He said he would call in ten minutes but when reminded by text four hours later, still did not call. Instead he texted a statement:
“I met with many residents in our community following last week’s election results and after much discussion met with Sabina Covo. She shared her vision for our city and her plans to tackle big and small challenges. The only promise and commitment made by Sabina was the she will make our city proud, which is why I decided to endorse her. Anyone suggesting otherwise is nothing more than sour grapes.”
Make our city proud? Wouldn’t any candidate promise to do that?
During the first round in his campaign, however, Leal had ripped Covo. He called her corrupt, inept, confused. Now she shares his vision for the city and its challenges?
He did not answer subsequent phone calls.
Torres said he talked to Leal and Leal confirmed himself that he got a six figure job.
Read related: Commissioner Sabina Covo billboard boasts fight vs corruption — what fight?
“What he told me, and I heard from other people is, ‘Hey, I gotta look out for me,'” he said on the podcast.
Torres told Ladra that he met with Covo and her consultant Christian Ulvert the day after the election at the Ritz Carlton in the Grove. They wanted to know what it would take to get his endorsement. “I aid I would have to think about it.” The next day, he texted Covo and said he would rather meet with just her. They met at the same hotel and she offered him the ghost position at the CRA.
“She can do that because she controls the CRA now,” he said. And because she learned from the best.
“I ghosted them,” Torres said
“Eddy, Damian and I, right before the election, we made a pact, that whoever won would get the support to take on Covo,” Torres said he reminded Leal. The response: “Ya estoy montado en el avion.” It’s Spanish for “I’m already on board the plane,” and means, well, it’s obvious what it means.
How do we know Pardo didn’t offer Torres a job, too? “The only thing Damian promised was a promise for the community — ‘How can I help you make the downtown area what it needs to be?'”
Ladra tried to reach Covo also. Late morning, she said she was recording a show for MegaTV with former (and future) Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado. About 4 p.m., when asked via text if she was still recording, she said she was voting with her family. And that she published a statement.
The only statement Ladra saw was published by Coconut Grove Spotlight, an independent non-profit organization that provides news and information to Grove residents (Coconut Grove is in District 2), and had asked Covo if she offered Leal a job in her office:
“I am grateful to have Eddy Leal’s support in my election,” she told them. “The only commitment made to him was my promise to continue to lead with great ethics and integrity and a passion to get things done, as I have shown since my election on February 28th. Eddy is a dedicated resident who cares about the future of the city, and his work within the city shows he has deep knowledge of our community’s strengths and challenges.”
That’s not a no. In fact, that sounds suspiciously like justification for a future job.
Her statement on the platform formerly known as Twitter was also somewhat unclear.
“It is categorically and unequivocally false what Mr. Torres is alleging. At no point whatsoever did a conversation occur about any employment,” she posted. But Torres said it was a “contract” for some undelivered service or ghost performance.
“In fact the Omni CRA last month hired its new Executive Director, just to show how far fetched the claims are by Mr. Torres,” she said, but Torres never said anything about an executive director.
“After coming in well ahead of Mr. Torres by 30-points and coming in fourth place, he is busy spreading lies once again as he did since the first campaign in February. I remain focused on leading a campaign with honesty and integrity and doing the important work on behalf of the community where I have lived for over two decades and where I am raising my three kids.”
None of that clearly and decidedly answer the question.
Did Miami’s Sabina Covo offer Eddy Leal a job in exchange for endorsement? added by Ladra on
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