Because Miami

Today in Miami Fed Court for money laundering/foreign agent trial of Marco Rubio pal David Rivera: Juror said they went to high school with Rubio and can’t be fair because “I know Rubio” and “you can’t trust a word that comes out of his mouth.” Juror was stricken. #BecauseMiami

"This is America, right?" Miami Beach Mayor and Accused Serial Sex Pest Steven Meiner continues his war on the First Amendment, sending cops to a woman's house for posting a mean Facebook comment, and now the city wants me to pay over $1,500 for public records about it — a pathetic ham-fisted cover-up attempt #BecauseMiami

We’re already prepping public record requests for all the elected officials who get free Natty tickets. #BecauseMiami

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE 🙌

California Woman kidnapped from Ocean Dr., forced to perform oral sex before biting captor’s penis and escaping. Cops arrest man named Alix Innocent, 28, who they say knocked out of woman’s fiancé before kidnapping. @wsvn @JhollyW #Exclusive @MitchNovick

Hialeah cop arrested for DUI and allegedly drunkenly crashing into a “WASTE MANAGEMENT DUMPSTER TRUCK,” an arrest report says. Erik Martin, 45, was “BELLIGERENT TOWARD DEPUTIES ON SCENE” while being cuffed by MDSO. @wsvn #Exclusive

Sports welfare is a scam.

miami international is hands down the worst airport on earth. the design, the operations, crowd management, security, it never ends. pubes all over the bathrooms. absolute shit hole. i’d like to hear arguments on any domestic hub that is worse.

2 U.S. Coast Guard members arrested in Miami-Dade for separate crimes. Bryan Dufault for DUI damage to property and DUI. Alain Carvajal for false imprisonment and battery (domestic violence). @wsvn #Exclusive

Cringe. You fixed a parking lot. The most basic low tier maintenance. It’s like celebrating unclogging a toilet. Our airport is still falling apart. This is everything wrong with our broken ego-driven performative politics. Miami-Dade leaders are unserious people. #BecauseMiami

When I celebrated the City of Miami's bright future without Commissioner Comunista, @JoeCarolloNow self-identified as the Communist. Then he asked who I was calling a Communist. Well, I had to answer, "It's you, Joe." He resigned 5 hours later. BEHOLD:

SHAKEDOWN TOWN: City of Miami sued for land theft “extortion” scheme impacting HUNDREDS of homeowners. #BecauseMiami Navy veteran Chad Trausch and his wife Stephanie wanted to build a backyard guest house for their growing family — but were put in “permit purgatory” for a year and a half while the city demanded they give up half their front yard FOR FREE. According to Chad’s lawyers at the Institute for Justice, “the city’s Director of the Department of Resilience and Public Works, Juvenal Santana, testified that there have been ‘hundreds’ of these demands.” Unable to build the in-laws quarters, Stephanie was forced to travel out of state to her parents’ home with their newborn for help with childcare. Chad’s lawsuit “seeks both to make his family whole financially and to end Miami’s extortionate land use permitting scheme” and identify other impacted homeowners with “more than 1,000 houses at threat to this scheme.”

@mayurzzz He can start collecting his city pension again.

@BecauseMiami Benefits to doing that?

#BREAKING: Outgoing Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo RESIGNS — effective 11:59pm tonight — a week before the end of his term. District 3 Commissioner-Elect Rolando Escalona won't be sworn in until next Wednesday 12/17 at noon. #BecauseMiami

Miami Mayor-Elect @EileenHigginsFL — the city's first female mayor and first Democrat in nearly 30 years — promised to hire a new city manager. Can't happen soon enough. Overpriced furniture hustler Art Noriega should've been fired YEARS ago for facilitating, enabling and participating in much of the corruption that has nearly destroyed our community. Instead, Mayor Ponzi Postalita (aka Francis Suarez) and a majority of city commissioners kept Noriega on as their top enforcer for the Miami Mafia… #BecauseMiami

DEATH OF A DYNASTY: That's Little Havana/Ball & Chain business owner Bill Fuller on the right embracing newly elected Miami Commissioner for District 3 Rolando Escalona — who defeated the Carollo Dynasty tonight, winning over 53% of the vote over Joe Carollo's little brother Frank. Fuller and his business partner Martin Pinilla spent 8 years and millions of dollars fighting city hall to win a $63.5 million judgment against Joe for violating their Constitutional rights for political retaliation and are going to trial in February in a weaponization of government lawsuit that could bankrupt the City of Miami. Frank Carollo served as D3 commish from 2009-2017, followed by Joe from 2017-2025, and was tag team running for his old job back. Adios amigo. No more Carollos, no more Suarezes, no more Diaz de la Portillas. #BecauseMiami

While this incident occurred in full view of dozens of witnesses and on video, it is now the subject of an open criminal case, so I’ll limit my comments out of respect for the process. I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this. For six months, I worked with Miami-Dade Chief Assistant State Attorney Stephen Talpins and ASA Jose Rohaidy to avoid any charges being filed against Ms. Mann and attempted to resolve the matter with fairness and civility. All I wanted was an apology from the defendant for disrupting a public meeting at Miami City Hall — ironically about the weaponization of government — and committing battery when she aggressively took my phone while I was legally video recording. Now more than ever, it is incumbent upon all of us to repudiate political violence of any kind and protect everyone’s First Amendment rights. We can disagree, have spirited debate, we can even get loud. But we cannot put our hands on anyone in an aggressive or hateful fashion — and we certainly cannot steal property. Unfortunately, Ms. Mann refuses to accept responsibility for her criminal misconduct, so she’s been rightfully charged. The defendant, a longtime ally of outgoing Commissioner Joe Carollo, was empowered to commit a crime in city hall on camera and then immediately confess on live television because she believed there would be no accountability or consequences. She was right — for awhile — as certain members of City of Miami Police Department’s Sergeant at Arms detail and Robbery Unit failed to take appropriate action. If not for their dereliction of duty, and Ms. Mann’s recalcitrance, this matter could have been settled half a year ago. I greatly appreciate the patience and professionalism of ASA’s Mr. Rohaidy and Mr. Talpins, and look forward to seeing justice prevail.

Cops: Video shows woman ripping off diamond encrusted Cuban links and other jewels from Miami jewelry store where she worked. Jailed accused thief targeted store near Seybold building Downtown. @wsvn @JhollyW #Exclusive

"Let's do a capitalism, guys!" After being sued for violating Florida's Sunshine Law in a secret meeting to give away a 2.63-acre prime parcel of Downtown Miami real estate (worth up $360 million) for a Trump Presidential Library "component," the Miami-Dade College Board of Trustees met again this week to hear from the public and re-vote. Surprise twist: I support it! (In part.) A legit world class cultural and educational institution would be an outstanding attraction and resource for our community and tourists. But it can't be for $0. This is a real estate deal and they gotta get fair market value to help secure the future of the school. When the word "trust" is in your title (trustee!), you have a fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of the college, students and faculty — so of course, they voted to give it away for free again! #BecauseMiami

NEW: Alligator Alcatraz detainees were locked for hours in a tiny outdoor “box” as punishment, per a new Amnesty International report. miaminewtimes.com/news/alligator…