One of FBI’s nabbed lobbyists worked for Esteban Bovo

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Jorge Forte, one of the lobbyists arrested this week in connection with a bribery and extortion scam involving illegal federal kick-backs to willing politicians, worked for Miami-Dade Commissioner Esteban Bovo.

I mean, during the time that he was orchestrating a scheme to knowingly steal money from the federal government and split it with his buddy and business partner, Sweetwater Mayor Manny Maroño, who was also arrested on charges.

Forte was Bovo’s chief of staff right after Bovo was elected — and up through the time he started getting into this scam.

According to a staffer in Bovo’s office, Forte — who could have been making somewhere around $100,000 a year — “left because he had a better opportunity.”

Greener pastures indeed: Two weeks before his official last day at the county, he met with what he thought were Chicago businessmen at a restaurant in Miami Beach and took a $6,600 partial payoff he would later allegedly split with Maroño. This was in return, authorities say, for the mayor having passed a resolution in the western Miami-Dade city that allowed the businessmen — who were really undercover FBI agents — to fraudulently apply for federal economic development dollars. And then lying about it (more on that later).

According to the documents filed by the U.S. Attorney’s office, Forte first met with the undercover detectives on March 2. So we know he had to be talking about it at least earlier than that. Forte’s last day as a Miami-Dade employee was March 29. His last paycheck, according to the transparency tab on the county website, was for $4,867.99, which would mean he made $126,000 a year if you multiply it by 26. But Ladra is cutting that down to about $100,000 — until I can find out for sure tomorrow from human resources — because it could include unused sick leave and vacation.

Forte, who had been chief of staff for Maroño and town manager in North Bay Village, was hired by Bovo right after his recall election in May of 2011. He was key in the transition of the office, which Bovo took over from former Commissioner Natacha Seijas, who was recalled along with former Mayor Carlos Alvarez.

“Mr. Forte came to the County with a strong background in public administration and was hired to help the commissioner organize his staff in the wake of his election,” said Alex Annunziato, Bovo’s spokesman, who also said the commissioner was “deeply saddened to hear about the arrest” and would keep Forte and his family in his prayers.

“He has faith that justice will be administered swiftly and fairly,” Annunziato said.

We certainly hope that’s true.