The Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust has dismissed two frivolous complaints against longtime Coral Gables activist Maria Cruz that were filed by proxies for Mayor Vince Lago — and most likely at his behest.
The first complaint was filed by his fundraiser, Brian Goldmeier, and the second by lobbyist Jorge Arrizurieta, who was Lago’s appointment to the city’s board of adjustments — until someone notified the administration that he had moved out of Coral Gables. The commission found no probable cause for the first complaint and no legal sufficiency for the second.
But there is no way that either of them didn’t file the complaint at Lago’s request or, at the very least, with his permission. They seem to be retaliation for last year’s unsuccessful mayoral recall that Cruz spearheaded. Attorney Ben Kuehne, who has represented Lago in separate matters, even went to the commission to argue on the complaint’s behalf.
“It obvious that they are trying to intimidate me,” Cruz, Lago’s loudest critic, told Political Cortadito.
To which Ladra says “Good luck with that!”
In the first complaint, Goldmeier — who recently moved to a home on Aledo Avenue– said Cruz “exploited” her official volunteer position on the city’s code enforcement board to intervene in a case, which she reported, about an orchid that he nailed to a tree in front of the house. She did write a series of emails to follow up and asked why he was issued a warning instead of a ticket. Goldmeier said he felt targeted because of his ties to Lago.
“Because it is known that I am a consultant for many elected officials in Miami-Dade County, some of whom Ms. Cruz does not support, I was concerned about her involvement in the complaint,” Goldmeier wrote in his complaint.
Read related: Mayor Vince Lago’s consultant files complaint vs Coral Gables recall activist
Cruz says she didn’t know it was Goldmeier’s house. Fat chance of that. She knows everything. But Goldmeier did wait six months to make the complaint, which was right after she started a recall against Mayor Lago that fell short by just 117 signatures. And that seems more retaliatory than a legitimate reporting of his orchid mauling.
The Ethics Commission did provide Cruz with a “letter of instruction” as to how to properly recuse herself. While she did recuse herself from vote at the code enforcement board in November, 2023 — where the violation was dismissed — she first went into a long explanation of how she became involved.
“In any such circumstance where recusal is advisable, it is important that the delineated three (3) steps of the recusal process be followed. First, publicly disclose the recusal and the nature of the conflict of interest,” the letter of instruction said. ” Second, leave the meeting while the matter is being discussed and voted upon. Third, file a written disclosure regarding the nature of the conflict with the City of Coral Gables City Clerk.”
In the second complaint, Arrizurieta accused Cruz of being an unregistered lobbyist. It was legally insufficient because it was a lie. Cruz was not a lobbyist because she is not paid to represent any entity. She represents herself and the interest of certain Gables residents. She might be a pain in the, er, neck to some politicos (read: Lago), but she ain’t a lobbyist by any measure. And Ladra suspects that both Arrizurieta and Lago, whose permission he must have sought to file the complaint, know this.
Read related: Coral Gables activist forms PAC to recall former friend, Mayor Vince Lago
Both the Miami-Dade code of ethics and the and the Gables ethics code “provide as an exemption to the definition of lobbyist to allow any person that appears for the purpose of self-representation without compensation of reimbursement, whether direct,
indirect, or contingent, to express support or opposition to any item.”
Nobody is paying Cruz. She is driven, but unpaid.
“The complaint fails to allege that Ms. Cruz worked on behalf of a principal, as is required for her to be considered a lobbyist under both the City and County lobbyist requirements,” the final order reads. “Additionally, if Ms. Cruz was not working on behalf of a principal, then it appears that she would be ‘lobbying’ on behalf of herself, which is exempted by provisions in both the City and County Code. Thus, Ms. Cruz would not be required to register as a lobbyist to speak with a member of the Coral Gables Board of Adjustment to express her opposition to a variance application.”
Ladra can’t help but wonder what their next complaint against Cruz will be. She should sue to recover any legal costs she may have incurred.
Ethics board dismissed two Vince Lago complaints against Coral Gables activist added by Ladra on
View all posts by Ladra →
