It may be just one. But it’s a doozy.
Congressional candidate Carlos “Crybaby” Curbelo — the Miami-Dade
School Board member and GOP establishment favorite who won the August primary — had to admit finally to the identity of one of his clients.
It’s not that he wanted to, mind you. Or even that he felt he had to in order to (a) pay rightful respect to his voters and the voters he seeks or (b) quell the storm that has brewed around this disclosure issue since the primary.
Nah. Curbelo, who has been able to skirt disclosure laws by having his lobbying firm under his wife’s name, was forced by Jim DeFede of CBS4 to confirm that one of the clients he represented was Roberto Isaias – who was convicted of embezzlement in Ecuador and is living the political fugitive life in Miami. Curbelo took him to DC and introduced him to various legislators and federal administrators.
He didn’t call it lobbying. He called it a “PR project.” I kid you not.
But, c‘mon! We all know how this works. A lobbyist does not only advocate to elected officials on your behalf. A lobbyist also gets you access to those officials. And that is what Curbelo, indeed, did for Mr. Isaias. For Curbelo to deny he was lobbying is not only dishonest, it’s downright insulting to the people he intends to represent in Congress.
Read related story: Carlos Curbelo hides lobbying client list under wife’s skirt
Who else has he represented through his firm, Capitol Gains? Curbelo has refused 
to answer this question throughout the campaign. That’s unacceptable not only as a candidate but as an elected member of the School Board, which oversees our children’s and our grandchildren’s multi-million educational system. And by digging in his heels and refusing to disclose a client list that he has by now been asked dozens of times for by voters, fellow Republicans and the media does only one thing: Drum up the doubt.
Disclosure is even more important now that we know the type of client Mr. Curbelo is willing to take money from in exchange for access. Without casting judgment — although Isaias was tried in absentia and found guilty of stealing $400 million from federal banks — Mr. Curbelo is on the payroll of an international fugitive. That’s something voters ought to know.
No wonder he didn’t want to disclose his client list. Are there any other clients who are wanted in other countries? Other states?
Read related story: Who are some of Carlos Curbelo’s business partners?
Perhaps it is not a conflict of interest at the Miami-Dade School Board that Mr. Curbelo is hiding. Perhaps it is simply his moral compass.
Ladra doesn’t love Joe Garcia. I do not like that his friend and right hand man admitted to absentee ballot fraud, was found guilty and was sentenced to 90 days in jail. I do not like the fact that that friend — who later became his chief of staff — is accused 
of funding a plantidate in the Republican primary in 2010, which is still being investigated. But I am not sure the Congressman knew anything about either scam. He sorta seems the perfect fool.
Yeah, he talks nonsense about communism, picks his ear wax when he should be paying attention to testimony about national security. But Joe Garcia is generally ineffective as a member of the minority party and can’t get anything done for the people he represents, even if those are the apologists who do business with Cuba. He sorta seems the harmless idiot.
Carlos Curbelo would be much more effective for the people he represents — Isaias and whoever else that may be.
Most importantly, I don’t know that Joe Garcia is hiding anything.
We know Carlos Curbelo is hiding something: his client list.
Now it seems we’ve caught of glimpse of why.
We got one! Carlos Curbelo’s secret clients includes fugitive added by Ladra on
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They get elected because of the mere fact that they r Republican. I know many elderly people that vote for the Party and not the individual here in Dade County. The Spanish News station need to expose them to get the message across. These crooks pry on the elderly by visitng their social groups with pastelitos, entertainment and promises of expanding their Medicare. They are just mere ignorant and are deceived.
Carlos Curbelo is a lying sneaky scumbag. He is a coward and cannot be trusted as a school board member, let alone in a seat in Congress.
His antics have a stench of dirty politics. He constantly criticizes his opponents about ethics, corruption and integrity, yet it is he that looks to be just as bad, or worse.
I would absolutely never vote for him and no one else should in District 26 should either.
Carlos Curbelo es un pedazo de mierda!
[…] As award-winning investigative journalist Elaine Del Valle wrote in a scathing piece this week: […]
Ecuador is not cuba
Carlos Curbelo I know and is a friend. Roberto Isaias I know and apparently much more than you. Fugitive from Ecuador is same as fugitive from Cuba. It should be noted that the government of Ecuador lost its court proceedings against the Isaias in a country where there are laws, the USA.
It’s funny how people are always complaining that all politicians are crooks. They bla, bla, bla and when they get elected they get perverted. I have been making phone calls for the past several months and I get this all the time. What I fail to understand is that how can voters expect any difference when WE are the ones that put them there. Well, I guess whomever votes for Curbelo won’t have this problem, he is already perverted, dishonest and corrupt. Anyone have any facts to prove me wrong? It is a shame that District 26, with so many capable and qualified candidates got stuck with the wimp.
Wow if this is what the rest of his client list looks like, he is more corrupt than anyone may think. Most think he is hiding his client list because, here and there he may have voted to give them a contract via the school board, but nothing like this. So a School Board member has an embezzler and a fugitive for a client. Very good example to young people. No wonder he does not want to release any of his clients. Who can blame voters of District 26 to vote for Garcia, who has done nothing in 2 years, meaning no harm done, or just not vote for either one.
Well Curbelo helped my opponent, good news is I beat my opponent by over 10 points, so I don’t know what “palanca” Cubelo will have,also without the endorsement of the ones that matter in the district, Joe Martinez and Mac, yes I know MAC does not live in the district, but he would have been a better candidate any day. Ladra, love the crybaby!
I am a republican and I will vote for Joe Garcia, My vote went for Joe Martinez last go round. I am 100% with Mac and Joe M. vote for Garcia or default the vote.
Mr. Paine, I won’t cast judgement on Mr. Isaias. You are right. There are two sides to that story.
But the point is that Mr. Curbelo continues to hide his client list under his wife’s skirt and that should just be unacceptable to all voters in District 26 — as well as the constituents he represents now on the School Board.
Love, Ladra
You forgot to mention that the United States has refused to extradite Mr. Isaias to Ecuador, for good reason: the Ecuadorian judicial system is completely and utterly corrupt. Yet, you make it sound like his conviction in Ecuador was completely by the book and complied with basis due process.
Let’s not lend credibility to Mr. Isaias’ conviction in Ecuador, which was politically motivated by Pres. Correa (who by the way would muzzle Ladra because he hates the press).