Former Miami Commissioner Sabina Covo, who ran on a platform of fighting corruption, is currently under investigation for “remuneration by candidate for services, support, etc. and bribery.”
Remuneration? Yeah, that means promises of money or jobs by a candidate for support of her candidacy and it is illegal under Florida Statute 104.071.
Remember that in November, shortly after making it into the runoff against activist and financial planner Damian Pardo — who went on to win the second round — Covo was accused of promising a job to attorney Eddy Leal, who had come in third with 15% of the vote in the Nov. 7 election, and a juicy contract to Downtown Neighbors Alliance President James Torres, who came in fourth with 10%.
Leal denied any such deal. But Torres told Ladra back in November that he met with Covo and her consultant Christian Ulvert the day after the election at the Ritz Carlton in the Grove. He wouldn’t speak about it on Saturday, citing a “gag order” he was under from the state attorney’s office.
But back then, Torres told Ladra that Covo and Ulvert wanted to know what it would take to get his endorsement. “I said I would have to think about it,” he said in November. The next day, he texted Covo and said he would rather meet with just her. They met at the same hotel and she offered him a $120,000 contract from the Omni Community Redevelopment Agency for a ghost job.
Read related: Did Miami’s Sabina Covo offer Eddy Leal a job in exchange for endorsement?
“She can do that because she controls the CRA now,” he told Ladra in November. And because she learned from the best, of course.
He also told Ladra, in November, that Leal confirmed he had been offered a position at the city, where he had formerly worked as counsel to Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.
In a text message to Ladra, Covo on Saturday said that the investigation came as news to her.
“This is quite surprising, as I haven’t been contacted by any agency or the governor’s office,” Covo said. “I led with the highest ethics and integrity and any review of my tenure, including my campaigns, will confirm as such. I’m sure this is nothing more than detractors trying to generate headlines.”
When the accusations first came up in November, she issued a more benign statement:
“I am grateful to have Eddy Leal’s support in my election. The only commitment made to him was my promise to continue to lead with great ethics and integrity and a passion to get things done, as I have shown since my election on February 28th,” she said, referring to the special election she won earlier last year. “Eddy is a dedicated resident who cares about the future of the city, and his work within the city shows he has deep knowledge of our community’s strengths and challenges.”
As Ladra noted back then, Covo did not say that she didn’t offer him a job. In fact, this sounds like she could be listing the reasons why she would employ him.
Read related: Commissioner Sabina Covo billboard boasts fight vs corruption — what fight?
Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez-Rundle has recused herself from this case, again, because she is a “close associate” of one of the witnesses. Possibly Ulvert, who, as one of her consultants, billed her more than $150,000 in 2020 for phone banks, advertising and mailers, among other stuff.
At what point does KFR just have too many “close associates” to be our state attorney?
On Feb. 1, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Broward State Attorney Harold Pryor, who is also prosecuting the bribery and money laundering case against former Miami Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla, who must have taught Covo everything he knows.
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Why hasn’t Pardo brought in james torres into the mix? He was the one that got him elected!
That’s just odd to me, someone that got him into office, and he is not found in the D2 office odd
Pardo…Pardo don’t forget torres .
We all know that Covo was an idiot, and also fake .
FYI The idiot Ken Russell endorsed Covo for his old job. Russell treated his 8 years as a District 2 commissioner as 8 years being paid by taxpayers to never show up for work AKA a No-Show job. Covo also barely showed up at City Hall either.
Covo has NEVER set foot in City Hall to speak on issues affecting residents before or after she was elected and began getting paid. Neither did Selfie Boy Ken Russell. What fakes. Disgraced ex-commish Marc Sarnoff only shows up when he being paid – to kill Melreese Park for a speculator or destroy Ferre Park… with massive illegal billboards. Creeps.
I’m clutching my pearls in amazement! Quid pro quo? is that possible?? that anyone will be held responsible?
Twice I’ve come upon this sort of thing in the past. The first time I spoke to a young man who was running in an election here, in Dade County, and he told me he’d been promised a position in the commissioner’s office if he endorsed him. The guy didn’t win so….no harm no foul?
Second time, since I called the FBI because a department head made a promise to provide some favors if a group didn’t fight an issue. I was told by the FBI that no law had been broken, yet, so nothing could be done. So, I should’ve taken the deal?
That this State Attorney doesn’t act more often than not, is deplorable. When will people realize that corruption and looking the other way doesn’t just happen in one tribe?
Pardo is an idiot to keep any of Covo’s staffers. Covo and the selfie-boy Ken both had novice inexperienced staffers. No wonder the 24/7 criminals like Tricky Vicky and Arty Noreiga and Joe Carollo always get away with crimes.
In the short time she was in office she learned all the tricks of the trades from Krusty Carollo and Alex .
In her PAC account its a carbon copy of Carollo and Alex.
She is as FAKE as a $15 bill. and Eddy Leal, is also spineless, hunting for a job and not placing the community first.
Torres was front and center and by that it got Damion elected ..
Yes. Pardo did keep Covo’ right hand person on his staff. i guess the more things change the more they stay the same.
Las cucarachas keep coming out
We Need A STATE ATTORNEY & A SHERIFF To Clear All The CORRUPTION in MIAMI !
Our State Atty is up to her ears in the crud. Don’t worry, clock’s a ticking on all of them
All these politicians are corrupt and an embarrassment. I had high hopes for Pardo but just heard last week that he kept Covo’s chief of staff to lead his office. Ladra, can you please confirm this. Thx.
Rumor is that you have a greater chance of winning Powerball than finding an honest Hispanic politico in Miami .
This was so obvious. I hope they can pull Ulvert into this and end his influence. Covo was not only inept but completely ‘full of it’, Corrupt, dishonest and sadly endorsed by Democrat party which wanted a Latna woman to run for future challenges agaist Rep Salazar, who now brags about funds she got for her district while voting against all those Biden bills. Only in Miami. The crud runs deep.