As he defends himself on 14 public corruption charges in criminal court, former Miami Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla is going on the offensive in divorce court, filing a counter motion for dissolution of marriage and demanding that his wife not only split the marital assets — like jewelry and designer clothing — but also pay his legal fees and all court costs.
Vanessa Garcia Azzam filed for divorce in January and stated in her motion that there were no marital assets. This answer from Alejandro Manuel Diaz de la Portilla was filed June 24 and disputes that.
“There are marital assets subject to equitable distribution including, but not limited to: jewelry, designer clothing, shoes and accessories, electronics, household goods and furnishings, bank accounts, and retirement accounts,” the motion says.
Shoes? He wants her shoes?
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“There are marital liabilities subject to equitable distribution including, but not limited to: revolving charge accounts and lease agreements. The Court must set apart to each spouse that spouses nonmarital assets and liabilities and must equitably distribute all marital assets and liabilities.”
He also wants Vanessa — who used to work as community liaison/communicaitons aide for Diaz de la Portilla but now works at the county — to pay for his attorney and any related divorce costs. Probably since ADLP is no longer employed — he lost his job as city commissioner when the governor suspended him after his September arrest on bribery, money laundering and other charges — and he has limited opportunities as a political consultant.
He also lost his childhood home, so he may be crashing on one of his brother’s couches.
“As a result of participating in this action, the Husband has been required to retain the services of the undersigned attorney to represent him and has agreed to pay his attorney a reasonable fee. The Husband has the need for, and the Wife has the ability to pay Husbands attorneys fees, expert witness fees, suit money and costs,” the counter petition says. Citing several precedents, it says “The Husband is entitled to an award of attorneys fees, expert witness fees, suit money and costs, both temporarily and permanently, especially if the Wife engages in unnecessary litigation.”
He also “demands a judgement dissolving the parties marriage, equitably distributing all marital assists and marital liabilities awarding attorneys fees, expert witness fees, suit money and costs, granting further relief consistent with this Counter Petition and granting such other relief as this Honorable Court deems just and necessary.”
Read related: Miami’s Alex Diaz de la Portilla arrested on corruption, pay-for-play park deal
In his counter motion, Diaz de la Portilla — who did not return a call or texts — said “The marriage between the parties is irretrievably broken.” He says the former couple have no minor or dependent children, and “The Wife is not pregnant with a child common to both parties.”
Garcia Azzam went to work for Miami-Dade Commissioner Keon Hardemon probably around the time she and Diaz de la Portilla got married in May of last year. She is no longer “part of our team,” said a woman who answered the phone at Hardemon’s downtown office. Garcia Azzam now works in the county’s community advocacy office, where she makes $97,000 a year.
So, that’s why ADLP thinks she can afford the legal fees.
This is Diaz de la Portilla’s second divorce. In 2009, he split with Claudia Davant, a lobbyist he had met while he served in Tallahassee, where he was a state rep and a state senator. That divorce got ugly when the couple fought over custody of their dogs, Elvis and Priscilla. Davant later supported Gus Barreiro in the 2012 race for state house that ADLP eventually won the primary and lost the general to a first-time candidate named Jose Javier Rodriguez.
The counter suit filed by ADLP in this divorce makes no mention of shared pets.
Alex Diaz de la Portilla answer and counter petition for marriage dissolution by Political Cortadito on Scribd
Alex Diaz de la Portilla wants estranged wife to pay divorce attorney, trial fees added by Ladra on
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