Que se ha creido Carlos Curbelo.
The Miami-Dade School Board member and congressional wannabe actually had the gall to lie and accuse 
Ladra of extortion when he spoke with WPLG’s Michael Putney, one of the most important political reporters in the 305, on the day of my first appearance on This Week In South Florida.
Here was Ladra, so proud to be on what many consider the political show in the 305, finally — tail was practically wagging from the excitement — and Curbelo tries to get me off by making up lies to smear me?
“Elaine, I gotta tell you, Carlos Curbelo got very upset when he learned you were going to be here,” Putney told me on the air, hitting me with a complete surprise, since Curbelo — apparently a great faker — greeted me in the conference room with a smile and a kiss on the cheek.
“He says you were trying to hold him up for money for favorable coverage,” Putney said.
The laughter I shared with Putney, cohost Glenna Milberg and fellow guests Marili Cancio and former Miami-Dade Commissioner Katy Sorenson during the commercial break suddenly seemed long ago.
Wait a minute. Are you serious, Michael?
“He said that you had approached him for a contribution for an ad or something and the implication was that if you bought the ad or he bought the ad that you would give him positive coverage,” Putney explained.
Really, Carlos? Really? You’re going to stoop so low as to actually lie to a journalist in order to hit Ladra’s unblemished credibility and try to get her off his show? Shows a bit of desperation on your part, doncha think?
There’s no crying in baseball and there’s no whining in politics, you petulant little pinhead.
We all know that you told this to Putney Sunday morning in order to try to change the lineup and have me taken off the show. Why else? You didn’t want Ladra there because I could bring up topics you are uncomfortable with. But what you did was basically guarantee that I bring up the topics you are u
ncomfortable with.
The reality is, as I told Putney, the true reason that Curbelo was upset with me is because I have questioned the strength of empty endorsements given without so much as a courtesy glance at the other candidates and because I outed the hosts of his Monday fundraiser as convicted tax cheats and because I was the first news source to report his $35,000 poll that he has kept secret, most likely because he didn’t like the results, and I was the first to report that he found a way to avoid public financial disclosures required of an elected official.
Read related story: Carlos Curbelo keeps poll secret in FL26 race for Congress
See? As an elected official who steers billions of dollars in school board contracts, Curbelo is required to disclose the clients he works for at his business, Capitol Gains. The idea — yes, my suggestion — is that they may be benefiting from his elected position and we have a right to know. I mean, that is the very reason these disclosure laws exist. But he found a way to avoid that legally required disclosure by putting his company in his wife’s name and having her pay him a salary. She’s not an elected anything. She doesn’t have to disclose who her clients (read: his clients) are. And she hasn’t worked a day at Capitol Gains.
Is this the kind of shenanigans we want to see in Washington?
The issue had been brought up earlier by Cutler Bay Mayor Ed “Big Mac Daddy” MacDougall, who said 
that the election is about integrity and open government and asked Curbelo point blank who his clients are.
“We’ve had so many people under investigation. We’re going after Joe Garcia … the people need to have open government,” MacDougall said.
“He’s made $250,000 in the last two years through Capitol Gains. Who are his clients? He regulates hundreds of millions, billions of dollars through the school board. He’s a lobbyist. And why is this not coming out,” said Big Mac Daddy, who apparently reads Political Cortadito.
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Desperate Carlos “Crybaby” Curbelo lies, needs a spanking added by Ladra on
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He might be desperate, but I’m fearing the Pastelito Bloc won’t be able to be broken by Martinez or MacDougall. Remember, those are the same voters who elected Carlos Alvarez…and then recalled him…and then elected Carlos Gimenez…and want to recall him. They obviously don’t know what the hell they are doing, but wield enormous electoral power. I think I’m beginning to see why Miami-Dade government is, uh, what it is.
I am remembering the movie “All The President’s Men. There was a meeting wherein the source referred to as “Deep Throat” advised to “Follow the money” It would seem to me as the election is already underway there is little time to have this done….nonetheless it needs to come out and hopefully someone can get the ball rolling sooner than later and before this election cycle is over.
Oye Ladra,
Michael Putney one of the important political reporters in the 305? Please. I have been in the same room with him and politicians. Trust me he is not the same ethical and trustworthy reporter of 20 years ago. I place him in the same category as Ed O’Dell. Reputable reporters at some given time in their careers, but current political caterers.
You my dear friend is more important than he his right now. Don’t you get it? He needs you because you are willing to say and report what he is not willing to do.
I agree, I’ve been beating on Bert almost since he got there over the 70+ year old Putney. at best we can say he does not prepare as well as he used to and at worst is a rambling shadow of his former self showing strong bias in his interviews, and I know i’m not the only one complaining.
I was happy to see Glenna added as a counterweight.
Ladra,
I just volunteered for the Garcia campaign where one of their coordinators recommended your column. A law student I know mentioned you some time ago. Then, I heard from a lobbyist about you. Lastly, my brother, who is an attorney, also mentioned you. That’s plenty of recommendations for me. I am glad I finally found your site. Excellent work! Thank you.
Heavy duty!
Curbelo has a dirty little bread crumb trail alright. Keep following it. I’m sure it will lead you, and anyone else who follows it to proof of his dishonesty, and attempt to deceive the voters of district 26.
Dishonesty and deception are only two of many reasons why we can’t let him represent us in congress.
Ditto for me Ladra, keep “Ladrando” as Mr.Tibbs stated “Keep it up” But be careful with “Cry Baby Curbelo’s” spanking, because he likes it and will invite you to the Green Iguana in Tampa, with his other friend The other Charlie C.- What a farce.
Two face scammer, needs to go back under the rock he came from.
Excellent post, Ladra. You are a superb journalist. I rely on your blog for the unvarnished truth about politics in the 305. Keep it up!
Ladra!
Wow! You took down Carlos “The Angry Elf” Curbelo in an article. Joe Garcia is going to eat this guy for lunch in a debate, if it even gets that far.
Actually what am I even stating, No way an Elf can beat “El Diablo”!
The Real Slim
Oh!! Ha ha ha!! I just realize what the comments above mean by “a pair”.
Ladra, I thought Curbelo was inexperience, but he has proved me wrong, he is stupid. I’ll retrieve “stupid”, he is an “ignorant lier” as he called Mayor MacDougall in public (I believe when all the candidates were interviewed by the Miami Herald). When you are in politics you don’t step on anyone’s toes. Your opponent today may be someone you need tomorrow (in his case Marco Rubio). But to step on the toes of the media is laughable. They can make you and they can destroy you. Ladra you know I have disagreed with you many times on many different issues. I have expressed the fact I think you have been too harsh to many. Today, I am asking you to give it all you have to shed light to this “twirp’s” behavior and concealment of clients and contributors. I think there’s a lot of things he is hidding that people need to know. Aside from the fact he is the least experience for the job, he has himself proven he is no material for a Congressman. He is a cheat and a lier. Continue your research into Capital Gain, you may get some help from the IRS. Good luck.
Ladra,
I have to drive to work now but will leave a reply shortly…in the meantime, I just want to say, “I love you” and keep on reporting the truth. You are refreshing and your integrity unrivaled.
Curbelo is as low as they get and es una caca.
Curbelo needs a pair
Ladra,
All I can say is you have a PAIR. You must continue to dig into Capitol Gains. I think Curbelo is concealing something that may make him another type of defendant. There have to be legal and tax documents signed by him and his wife indicating that she does SOME kind of work at Capitol Gains, which we all know is a lie because she’s a housewife isn’t she?
It would really be sweet if he IS concealing the Diaz Balart’s, Demetrio (Ex-con), the Munilla’s, and other local royalty that have dealings with the School Board. Conflict of interest or just a way to cut out the bagman in the equation and have the payoffs go straight to the source. Keep digging! This smells of Sunshine Law violations, Organized Scheme to Defraud, Unlawful Compensation, and Official Misconduct, Money Laundering, etc…
In today’s day laundering campaign contributions and stealing from the government isn’t as easy as dipping your hand into the school board’s piggy bank. It requires innovation and, in Curbelo’s case, a dummy company under no one better than his wife to conceal the payoffs.
I’m not a math whiz but if he’s claiming $250,000 in income, and let’s say he’s making an average 40% profit margin, then his company has to be bringing in over $1 million a year. It’s not cheap to maintain that office in the Gables.
I wouldn’t mind seeing Curbelo in cuffs pero con esa cara de pájara loca que tiene, se lo van a comer en Dade County Jail.