Michael Pizzi sues Miami Lakes for $3.2 million in legal fees

Michael Pizzi sues Miami Lakes for $3.2 million in legal fees
  • Sumo

DEVELOPING STORY: Miami Lakes Mayor Michael Pizzi has sued the his own town twice to recoup $3.2 million yappingpizziin alleged legal fees from both his fight against federal bribery charges and is fight to get back into Town Hall.

Pizzi’s team of attorneys filed two lawsuits Wednesday. One seeks $700,000 for the civil case he won at the Florida Supreme Court to get back his seat once he was acquitted of federal bribery charges last year. The other seeks $2.5 million for the legal fees paid in that criminal case.

How many billable hours is that?

“That had nothing to do with the town of Miami Lakes,” said Town Attorney Raul Gastesi, who plans to fight the lawsuits and will tell the council members that at Tuesday’s meeting.

The conduct that resulted in him getting indicted was not the town’s fault,” Gastesi told Ladra. “He engages in conduct, accepting cash money for his PAC, and he wants to the town to pay $2.5 million for that? I think that’s unfair.”

Gastesi also plans to fight the $700,000 in fees for the civil case, which seems a little artificially bloated.

Read related story: Wayne Slaton gives up; Michael Pizzi is Miami Lakes mayor

“That’s twice what the Ackerman firm charged us,” Gastesi said, referring to the $300,000 the town paid to represent its side and fight Pizzi’s return. “It was the governor who entered the order [of suspension of office], not the town.”

Maybe the criminal case is artificially bloated, too. I mean, it wasn’t like a full time job. And the trial lasted about a month. One month’s work: $2.5 million. Ladra should have gone to law school.

Ben Kuehne, the lead attorney in the team of eight legal dogs on Pizzi’s side, has not disclosed how many hours they toiled and what the cost per hour is. “Until a judge determines whether he’s entitled to some of those fees, he doesn’t want to disclose what the hourly rate was.”

Earlier this year, council members set aside $250,000 in the budget — which they will be discussing publicly for the first time at a workshop Wednesday — because it was comparable to what they had paid their own firm in the case, said Vice Mayor Manny Cid.

They also have only $2.5 million in the reserves, so paying that legal bill will mean they might have to sell a few firetrucks or something.

Is this someone who has the best interest of the town at heart?

By the way, is Medley going to see a lawsuit also? They let Pizzi go as city attorney after the 2013 August arrest.

Pizzi and Sweetwater Manny Marono, in a separate but equal investigation, were caught conspiring with FBI agents posing as grant facilitators willing to steal U.S. funds meant for economic development. Marono pled guilty and is doing 3 1/2 years. Pizzi, who took a $3,000 cash payment from a lobbyist in the closet of his office and another envelope in the bathroom of a pool hall, was acquitted after his team of eight of the county’s most prominent attorneys was able to sell the jury on the slightest shadow of a doubt.

On second thought, maybe they are worth every last penny.

Maybe the city ought to pay these mobsters off. Before the tab goes up another million in this fight.

This story is developing and may have more information added shortly.

9 Responses to "Michael Pizzi sues Miami Lakes for $3.2 million in legal fees"

  1. I’m convinced you all are conspiring to bring me back to the dark side. (Laughing). Look, the comments are correct under the common law that Mayor Pizzi’s attorneys get PAID. Regretfully, the Town Attorney R. Gastesi continues to give bad legal advise but at the same time claims the Mayor is slow signing his monthly $12,000 retainer. (More laughing). Can you blame him? Seriously, I’ve never heard of a Town Council so blindly misguided– this really is now expensive and stupid! Is it possible that the Town Council members are just stupid?

  2. Do we live in China or the US? Because the last time I checked, as a citizen of the US, Pizzi was INNOCENT until proven guilty. The wyze (stoopid spelling for stoopid politicians) ML commissioners jumped to declare him guilty then held an improper election. The commissioners and the newly elected Mayor fought tooth and nail to keep him from returning to his ELECTED seat. They were more concerned about putting in sidewalks in small parks and making special deals to build a long stalled rec centers. Last I heard, Pizzi wasnt around when those crooked deals were made. Now those same commissioners are acting like petulant children, determined to continue dragging Pizzi through the mud. As a citizen of ML, I’m tired of these silly games. Commissioners need to accept fault and pay up. Shame that cushy reserve of ours is being poured down the drains. Hope my neighbors come out in droves in next election to replace EVERY ONE on the commission.

  3. Let me explain how the Town is going to get screwed in this process: An official who is sued or sues or is indicted while performing official acts has an absolutely clear common law right to have his reasonable attorney fees reimbursed by the governmental entity he works for (or insurance if available). The Town attorney here has fought Pizzi, and convinced the clown council to fight Pizzi, at every opportunity and they have lost. He is an idiot who does not know the law. The “official act” which triggers the Town’s liability to defend Pizzi or pay his attorney fee bills is the vote to approve the Americorps grant proposal. I’ll say it slowly – it is the vote. The official vote. Got it? Everyone on the Town council voted for the grant proposal. Had anyone of them accepted the same anonymous election donation or PAC contribution they would be begging for reimbursement after their indictment too. SOOOOOO… Listen to the Town Attorney Raul Gastesi one more time – spend money fighting this and the Town will lose again and bear the brunt of the expense as they did when Gastesi told them to fight reinstatement.

  4. Just read some of the news reports- it DOES appear that the Town of Miami Lakes HAS insurance to cover at least a portion of all of these legal fees. I don’t think it’s a question IF the lawyers for Mayor Pizzi get paid, but HOW MUCH. Fortunately, since it appears that the insurance company is defending the Town and not Gastesi, it appears that the Town’s exposure is at least limited perhaps to the cost of the insurance deductible, assuming that all of the cases are covered under the Policy. I agree with many folks though that it really is “enough already”. Fatigue has set it. There are no heroes here on either side. Let’s settle and move on.

  5. I really hope we have some type of Insurance policy to cover Pizzi’s legal fees in the criminal case, in the event the Town is obligated to pay because of the Federal acquittal. As for fight with the Governor and taking the case to the Florida Supreme Court AND the Circuit Court case with Third DCA appeal, I think we are on the hook for that as well. There may also be attorney fees on top of the attorney fees. This is ridiculous! Hopefully, Gastesi will shine some light on this explaining whether the Town has insurance. If so, maybe he along with Ben and Ed can just come to a settlement. I’m sick of this like the rest of you. Let’s come up with a $ amount and move on. I’m not picking on anyone tonight, but the numbers seem high.

  6. Pizzi is a disgraceful human being. I can’t believe there are Town residents that still defend him.

  7. Pizzi is a crook and an embarrassment to the Town of Miami Lakes. He should ask Medley to pay his legal fees. Most of his criminal charges came about while he was their town attorney. He doesn’t care about Miami Lakes. If he did he wouldn’t keep dragging its good name through the mud. Remember, not guilty is not the same as innocent.

  8. They have a good word in Spanish that describes a fresh individual with no shame such as Pizzi. DESCARADO!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.