Miami-Dade corruption cops, Part II: PR and lip service

Miami-Dade corruption cops, Part II: PR and lip service

Scaling back the Miami-Dade Police public corruption unit is actually a good thing for local investigations and is being done in an effort to work more closely with federal authorities. That’s what Miami-Dade Police Director J.D. Patterson, who took over after the last chief suddenly took an early retirement last year smack dab in the […]

Miami-Dade corruption cops are transferred out

Miami-Dade corruption cops are transferred out

Maybe Deisy Cabrera, the Hialeah boletera, did get an anniversary present from Mayor Carlos “Not So Golden Boy” Gimenez after all. It appears that at least 16 of the investigators from the public corruption unit have been transferred to other divisions, like the economic crimes bureau, homicide, narcotics, the warrants bureau and even the marine […]

Hialeah candidate, former cop Ricky Garcia dies

Hialeah candidate, former cop Ricky Garcia dies

Former Hialeah Police Officer Ricky Garcia was excited about running for council in the city where he had lived and worked for nearly three decades. But but before he could qualify Monday morning, Garcia died of a massive heart attack. Julio Rodriguez, who qualified to run against Council Vice President Luis Gonzalez and had hoped to […]

Raul Martinez ready for Round 2? Winner: Hialeah

Raul Martinez ready for Round 2? Winner: Hialeah

Could this year’s mayoral election in Hialeah turn out to be a rematch? Former Hialeah Mayor Raul Martinez — who lost a bitter race against Mayor Carlos “Castro” Hernandez in 2011 — walked into City Hall Wednesday morning and walked out with a candidate package. He said he didn’t mean to. Martinez, who has remained […]

State Attorney pulled into Congressional race war

State Attorney pulled into Congressional race war

She may not be running for the seat, but Cutler Bay Mayor Ed MacDougall — who has announced his intent to run for Congress in District 26 in 2014 — seems to be campaigning against Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. And vice versa. MacDougall has asked Florida Gov. Rick Scott to appoint a special […]

Miami Lakes change passes via AB — but who voted?

Miami Lakes change passes via AB — but who voted?

Voters in Miami Lakes changed the way that council members are elected, choosing to choose them citywide instead of by district. Or did they? The problem with sending absentee ballots to everyone, whether they request it or not, is that you could end up sending ABs to ghosts. At least one was, in the case […]

New Francis Suarez video on heels of AB raid

New Francis Suarez video on heels of AB raid

Miami Commissioner Francis Suarez has responded quickly and openly to the revelation Thursday that one of his mayoral campaign workers had illegally requested 20 or so absentee ballots for voters who had asked for them at an event. And good for him. That’s what innocent people do. Not only did he come out of the commission meeting […]

Miami Lakes Mayor pushes hard on mail-in only vote

Miami Lakes Mayor pushes hard on mail-in only vote

With all the absentee ballot shenanigans going on here and there, one would think the county and a respectful municipality would not even imagine having an election that is exclusively and entirely through the mail. But that is exactly what the tony town of Miami Lakes is doing this month with a proposed charter change […]

Francis Suarez: Like father like son? AB scandal hits

Francis Suarez: Like father like son? AB scandal hits

Say it ain’t so, Baby X. According to the Miami Herald, which broke the story moments ago, cops raided the home of the Miami Commissioner Francis Suarez‘s mayoral campaign manager, Juan Pablo Baggini, early Thursday morning after they traced at least 20 illegal online absentee ballot requests to an IP address that was traced back […]

Miami Lakes Mayor for charter change (read: candidates)

Miami Lakes Mayor for charter change (read: candidates)

Miami Lakes residents could change the way that their local leaders are picked in a special vote later this month that would change the city charter to have all the council members elected at large rather than by district. And at least one resident is supporting it publicly: Mayor Michael “Muscles” Pizzi. After voters started […]