Ladra sniffs a familiar scent: Developers suddenly rediscover Vince Lago’s PAC

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In Coral Gables, the campaign finance reports can read like a City Commission agenda.

After months of collecting exactly zero dollars, Mayor Vince Lago‘s political committee, Coral Gables First, suddenly found itself on the receiving end of a fundraising blitz once the November ballot was set.

Almost overnight.

Between June 23 and 26 the PAC brought in $134,500. That’s all of the committee’s fundraising for the reporting period packed into four days. Nothing illegal about that. Political committees can accept unlimited corporate contributions and checks far larger than candidates themselves can receive.

But, as Ladra always says, timing is everything. And this timing deserves a second look. Because several of the biggest contributors either have projects before the city, represent people who do, or make a living helping development happen in Coral Gables.

Coincidence? Maybe. But Ladra doesn’t believe in coincidence. Besides, the connections are crystal clear.

The contribution that jumps off the page belongs to Chicago developer Steven Fifield, who personally gave $10,000 to Coral Gables First on June 25.

Just days later, the City Commission approved the long-debated Crystal Residences project at 110 Phoenetia Avenue, including the land-use change, rezoning, Planned Area Development and site plan after hours of public testimony and neighborhood opposition.

Fifield Companies, which also has projects planned in Wynwood and Aventura, is new to Coral Gables. They are under contract to purchase the Crystal Academy property from the late Sergio Pino‘s company — probably only if the zoning changed.

Again, there is absolutely no allegation that the contribution influenced anyone’s vote.

But residents watching from home might reasonably wonder why a developer whose controversial project is headed to the finish line suddenly decides it’s the perfect week to invest in the mayor’s political committee. Especially since Lago is not really facing a challenge in this first-ever November election for Coral Gables. There are two Gables residents barely challenging him — Jackson “Rip” Holmes and Laureano Cancio — but neither is expected to pull many votes.

Read related: Mayor Vince Lago is safe as ballot is set in Coral Gables November election

So that contribution isn’t for him to secure re-election. It’s likely for him to secure something else: the vote. Since Mayor L’Ego controls two pocket votes in Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson and Commissioner Richard Lara, contributors get three for one. Like a buy one get two free deal.

Then there’s Ponce Park Residences. The Allen Morris Company entity behind the luxury condominium project on Ponce de Leon Boulevard, contributed $25,000 on June 25. Less than two weeks later, commissioners approved amendments to its development agreement with the city concerning the redesign of Fred B. Hartnett Ponce Circle Park — revisions that reflect rising construction costs and a larger financial contribution from the city.

Again, perfectly legal. Also perfectly timed.

Another legal, but questionable $25,000 donation, is from Manuel “Manny” Kadre and companies connected to his business network. Kadre also chairs the University of Miami Board of Trustees, and the contribution comes while UM is seeking sweeping amendments to its land use and a new 30-year development agreement with the city which would give the green light for a new hospital, allow a 30% increase in campus development, increase the enrollment caps from 13,000 to 17,500 undergraduate students, which also means more student housing and more retail (more on that later).

And $25K could be seen as an incentive.

Who else filled the PAC piggy bank? The donor list reads like a who’s who of people who build, design, finance or entitle projects in South Florida and, especially, Coral Gables. Among them:

• Winmar Construction — $25,000, the contractor behind Villa Valencia and the Avenue project, who is also building a 13-story condo near Merrick Park.
• 1500 Park Ventures — $10,000, connected to Multiplan’s first Coral Gables condominium proposal.
• ROVR Development-related entities and a company that sold ROVR development sites.
• Land-use attorney Iris Escarra.
• Architect Robert Behar.
• Modis Architects.
• Other development entities, law firms and consultants whose business often intersects with City Hall.

If you’re looking for a theme, it isn’t hard to find.

Perhaps this is why Commissioner Melissa Castro has proposed an ordinance last week limiting campaign contributions. She deferred it — Castro was the only one who deferred any items in a 12 and a half hour meeting — but she told Ladra she would bring it back at the next meeting.

Read related: Melissa Castro just proposed banning developer money in Coral Gables elections

Still, she mentioned the mayor’s timely contributions from Fifield and Kadre at a budget workshop Wednesday.

“Let’s be a little transparent here,” Castro said. “These are projects, ladies and gentlemen, that we are voting on right now. The mayor is running for reelection. How does that look?”

Lago didn’t even address it.

The ordinance that Castro wants to move forward is modeled after Miami Beach’s stricter campaign finance rules. Those are among the strictest in the state. They ban campaign contributions from developers, but also from vendors and lobbyists and prohibit candidates and electeds from promoting PACs and steering money that way. So an elected can’t say “don’t give it to me, give it to this committee” and bypass the rules.

But Castro’s legislation would only apply to real estate developers. It wouldn’t apply to this election, of course.

Baby steps, Castro told Political Cortadito.

Which brings us right back to Coral Gables First.

Because while developers may face new restrictions giving directly to candidates, they can still write five-figure checks to a political committee supporting those same candidates.

Among other interesting details in the report filed this week:

Coral Gables First also gave contributions to two Doral city council members, $1,000 to Vince Lago’s own campaign and another $1,000 to the House District 113 campaign of Frank Lago, according to the committee’s filings. That’s just because another candidate, local business owner and urban farmer Tony Diaz, first got on his nerves months ago by daring to support another Castro initiative and then offered to help any candidate against him after Mayor Lago mocked him.

Read related: In Coral Gables, social media reposts are a crisis; but racism? Not so much

Lago has spent $20,235 on digital media, outreach digital marketing (read: text blasts), email marketing and political consulting from Big Tuesday Media, owned by Jorge Bustamante. It’s the same firm that got more than $13,000 in April to promote  the successful “Vote Yes on All 8” campaign earlier this year.

Nothing improper there either. Just another reminder that Coral Gables First isn’t simply some independent committee floating around in the political universe. It’s Lago’s spare wallet.

Which, by the way, may be running low. The PAC, which has collected $2.2 million in the ten years it’s existed, has less than $165,000 left as of the last filing date, June 26.

No one is alleging these contributions from developers bought votes. No one is suggesting anything illegal occurred. But public confidence isn’t built only on legality. It’s built on appearances.

Lago shouldn’t have taken these contributions. And he could return them, even though that doesn’t change who he is. Ladra bets he won’t. Because he can now use them to promote his handpicked candidate against Castro.

But when developers with projects before the commission start writing five-figure checks to the mayor’s political committee in the same week those projects are moving through City Hall, don’t be surprised if taxpayers in The City Beautiful begin wondering whether they’re reading a campaign finance report, or next week’s commission agenda.

This kind of independent, government watchdog reporting is crucial to transparency and democracy. And more so every day. Help shine a light on the darker corners of our community with a contribution to Political Cortadito. Click here. Ladra thanks you for your support.