ABZ. Anyone but Zilber.
That’s the refrain heard on social media and at private gatherings in Coconut Grove and Brickell when people talk about the special election in Miami’s District 2.
Some voters can’t believe that Martin Zilber would even run for office again. The former (read: disgraced) Miami-Dade Circuit Court judge resigned after an ethics investigation into unexcused absences and mistreatment of staffers. He admitted his wrongdoing, then cut and run.
But, in a way, that makes him perfect for Miami, doesn’t it?
Commissioners Alex Diaz de la Portilla and Joe Carollo really want Zilber as a third vote for their bloc so they can do whatever they want. Commissioner Manolo Reyes has sort of seen the light and drifted away from them and they need a new stooge to be The Three Amigos again.
Zilber would be a walking, talking rubber stamp.
Read related: Miami District 2 race gets heated with attacks and smears on lead candidates
That’s reason enough for some voters to reject him. A new political action committee tied to a former Carollo staffer sent a mailer linking Zilber and Diaz de la Portilla, calling them birds of a feather because of their unethical behavior. Voters have told Ladra that they won’t vote for Zilber simply because of ADLP’s endorsement.
Others don’t like the endorsement from former Commissioner Marc Sarnoff, who has become a lobbyist and who, las malas lenguas say, will really be voting behind Zilber. Or the fact that he’s raised more than $100,000 from special interests.
Then there’s the whole ethical complaint against him which caused him to abandon the bench.
Zilber resigned in May of 2021 following an investigation by the Florida Judicial Qualifications Committee that found he had berated staff, had his judicial assistants run errands for him and missed 51 workdays between January, 2019, and March, 2020, without notifying the court administration. This is on top of 16 court holidays and 25 days of approved leave.
Do the math: 51 days is 10 weeks and one day that he was out of the office without permission, and getting paid. Isn’t that theft by fraud? It amounts to about $31,000 of his judge’s annual $161,000 salary.
“The Commission also found that when he was present, the hours that Judge Zilber was at the Courthouse often fell below what would be considered a full workday,” the final findings and recommendations filed in court reads. “While the Commission is mindful of the fact that certain aspects of judicial service lend themselves to remote work, the Commission also believes that it is not unreasonable to expect that a judge serving in a trial-level court, especially one as busy as the 11th Judicial Circuit, be generally present at the courthouse during normal court hours.
“Recurring tardiness or absences from the courthouse works to damage the public’s perception of the judiciary,” it reads.
Zilber also told his judicial assistant that the timing of her pregnancy was inconvenient for him and ordered her to wheel his chair to the courtroom and back, even lifting it up to the dais. He had his judicial assistant create a scrapbook of his personal and professional achievements and work on his re-election. Other staffers drove him to events, did his online shopping and picked up his Art Basel tickets during work hours.
What? No picking up his dry cleaning?
Read related: Alex Diaz de la Portilla is investigated on ghost city employee at Omni CRA
In total, the judicial committee investigation found that Zilber had violated nine cannons of judicial conduct. They included a failure to uphold the integrity and independence of the judiciary and impropriety.
Zilber admitted to and apologized for his actions. The committee gave him a public reprimand, a 60-day suspension without pay and a $30,000 fine. The Florida Supreme Court refused that offer, however. They did not think it was punishment enough.
But Zilber quit before they could discipline him appropriately.
Read related: Martin Zilber gets nod in Miami D2 special election from ADLP’s palanca
Despite the admissions and apologies, Zilber — who also co-owns an upscale women’s sportswear boutique called At Ease — got a new private sector gig within months at South Florida commercial real estate firm Krinzman Huss Lubetsky Feldman & Hotte. As partner.
Despite the admissions and apologies, he has been posting a letter from the Florida Bar on social media pretending that it exonerates him, when it absolutely does not. The Florida Bar found no probable cause for further discipline — but only because Zilber had already quit his dream job. They can always reopen the case and discipline him in the future.
Zilber has also been boasting about a bunch of endorsements that were obtained vís-a-vís the palanca pulled by the commissioners who want him to be their puppet pocket vote. Don’t expect the rank and file of the police and fire departments to knock on doors or hold signs on Election Day.
They are also mostly ABZ.
Why nobody wants Martin Zilber to be the Miami commissioner in District 2 added by Ladra on
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Zilber has no shame in his game!
https://www.npr.org/2023/02/15/1157049312/george-santos-politics-of-shame
Why would anyone vote for Martin when he could not be an ethical judge. He had to leave as a judge because he was being investigated for misconduct. Only an unhinged person would vote for Martin when he was in fact unethical towards his duties as a judge by betraying the laws. What makes anyone think he will be ethical as a judge when he is practicing law with the racketeering firm of Miami under Mason Pertnoy, Jay Solowsky, Ritchard Allen. Stay away from him as he not an ethical person. There are better candidates then this ancient unethical attorney that should not be practicing law to begin with. Research why he is not a judge anymore. He didn’t retired, he was going to be disbarred and should be disbarred.
If Eddie Leal is in Suarez’s pocket (his “pupet” according to one) then why is Mayor Suarez endorsing Zilber and not Leal??? Leal is an independent and not beholden to either political party. He is the only candidate who can ramp up quickly if elected, not wasting time learning the ins and outs of City Hall but instead getting right to work for District 2 constituents. Leal has the background, the qualifications and the energy to represent District 2’s varied neighborhoods.
Eddie Leal gets my vote and should get yours too.
I’m voting for Mario Vuksanovic! He is going to fix our homeless problem.
Since disgraced commish Marc Sarnoff is raising money for Zilber then every voter should choose someone else. ANYBODY BUT ZILBER (ABZ).
Sabina Covo is a very good candidate. Max Martínez is my second choice.
They should have just done a special appointment and put a limitation on re-election in November. Would have saved us all this headache.
I like June Savage, she’s a real estate salesperson. She ran for Mayor of Miami Beach in 2017. She’s very personable.
Diaz de la Portillo plans to move into Ken Russell’s former office because it is larger. I wonder if he will have city spend another $15,000 to put in a bathroom like he did when he moved into his present office. Makes you wonder why he won’t use public restrooms!
For my household here in the Grove the choice is simple!
James Torres has our vote
the rest are FAKE (Eddie) Cant Balance a Check book (Covo) Disgraced Zilber
We need change and you can see from the endorsements, he has community folks not the Special interest like the other three
Suarez, Carollo, King & DDLP are with Zilber campaign financed by Mark Swirnof, everything is a conflict of interest, “NO MORE CORRUPTION”, CAROLLO IS INTERESTED IN SILVER BECAUSE OF HIS JUDICIAL PROBLEM, Covo campaign financed by Ken Russel, which Ken did for us absolutely nothing and that’s why we are in this position, Covo is not prepared to fight with the lions….Leal is Suarez’s 2nd option apart from that He has no personality…… THE ONLY OPTION IS “TORRES” He already showed us what he can do… What have the others done for our community?
Many voters want a normal person like CHRISTI TASKER that stands against the BAR attorneys and judges that should be behind bars! Martin Zilber should have been fired and debarred; instead, his friends probably allowed him to resign and keep his pension. We should all look into which of Zilber’s friends was sitting on the bench when he was allowed to resign. Then there’s Eddy Leal – the Mayor’s attorney, who did not hold re-election to stay in power for his HOA. Then, it looks like he accessed each condo unit for $50k! If only the owners came forward, that would be a great TELL ALL story at the Saurez’s poor choices. I’ll be giving ChristiTaskerForMiami.com a try – she can school and run circles around any of the other candidates, including Zilber & Leal.
@Coconut Grove Girl
How is Torres in bed with Joe Carollo?
I agree with you on ALL point but the Torres point I cant support sorry, have you seen the IG for him? miamidnapresident
you should look at this first and also Monty Trainer is the God Father of the campaign. so again how is Joe in bed with this?
As we all know Joe is with Zilber and Alex as well and Suarez
and lets not get started on Covo, she filed BK and gives the explanation that it was just medical bills…look at the filing
ABZ is FREAL wow … where was this months ago!
Lets keep this real folks,
ABZ is a JOKE
Eddie is a JOKE, he is the PUPET of Francis and rumor has it he is backing his PAC.
Covo is Russell 2.0.. what did that get us NADA.
Now Torres is an interesting choice. Proven track record of rolling his sleeves up for ALL of us, I have been to 4 forums and he is constant and correct on many items and he includes the District and not the community aspect.
I did some digging (like most of you have) and he is not in “bed with Krusty Joe” he has build relationships with County/City and other agency’s.
He is a statesman and my kids like him my 7 year old said mommy I like his suit and smile. AS a Grove family he truly can be trusted and is likeable.
I say to all my One Grove folks… Torres for D2
Lets get always from the normal here.
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I watched a panel with 4 of the candidates this week in my condominium. The only candidate who actually had anything to say that was applicable to our district was Eddy Leal. All the other candidates think they are going to save the world from global warming. He comes off as a realistic guy who has seen how disgusting the city of miami commission is. He is being attacked by the Covo and Zilber campaigns constantly. The attack ads are disgusting, this week a targeted ad went out to registered caucasian voters that said, “Let’s keep the only non-hispanic seat on the city commission.” That ad could only have come from Zilber, the only non-hispanic lead candidate.
A formal complaint to the Florida Bar with regards to the way Zilber is characterizing their letter is being prepared.
ABZ!
If you want another Sarnoff, vote for Zilber. If you want another Ken Russell in a dress, who didn’t have the cojones to stand up for our district, vote for Covo. I think the only real options are Eddy Leal and James Torres. A vote for Torres is a vote lost, so I’m voting for Leal.
More of a reason to vote for a candidate that is not affiliated with any of these BOZOS.
I am voting for Max Martinez! I do not trust the other three. Especially Eddy Leah, he’s literally a lawyer for the mayor wtf???? how is that even allowed?
Sabina seems so unrelatable – Ken Russells endorsement really screwed her over.
and James is in bed with Joe Carrollo!
Obviously, Carollo and Alex Diaz de la Portilla want Zilber as their stooge. Disgraced ex-commish and now full time billboard lobbyist Marc Sarnoff wants Zilber… Baby Mayor Francis wants Zilber. District 2 voters were screwed by the idiot novice commish Ken Russell. Smart voters will vote for anyone but Zilber.
People are Tired of CORRUPT POLITICIANS and STATE ATTORNEY SAO That Allows IT !