Shades of shady Miami Beach PAC in county disclosure law

Shades of shady Miami Beach PAC in county disclosure law
  • Sumo

Miami-Dade County commissioners gave preliminary approval Tuesday to an ordinanceethics2 that would force elected officials and any candidates for elected office to disclose when they were soliciting funds for any political action committee.

Hmmm. Doesn’t that sound familiar? Am I the only one having de ja vu?

Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava, who sponsored the measure, said she got the idea while campaigning.

“I consistently heard from residents that they do not vote because they have lost trust in the political process and don’t think that their voice matters,” she said. 

But who is she kidding? We’re not sure she would admit it — particularly since they share campaign consultant Christian Ulvert — but we are rather certain that Levine Cava got the inspiration for this rule from that shady Relentless For Progress PAC that collected $1.5 million from developers and contractors with business interests in the city in just a couple of months under the direction of Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine and former Commissioner Jonah Wolfson

Read related story: Miami Beach: Levine and Wolfson on defense for shady PAC

A similar ordinance in Miami  Beach — sponsored by Wolfson in a Hail Mary pass to save his rep — failed to get traction. But this law would cover electeds and candidates in both the county and all the cities inside Miami-Dade.

It does not prohibit elected officials or candidates from fundraising for political committees, whether they beethicsdefined PACs or electioneering communications organizations (ECOs), which are PACs of a different name.  The ordinance simply creates a new form they will have to fill out with the Elections Department if they do. On a monthly basis.

Campaign treasurers designated for all candidates will have to file an additional electronic report with elections each time they file a campaign finance report that would detail “solicitation activities on behalf of any political committee or electioneering communications organization,” according to the legislation, which gets rather specific (read: hallelujah).

“The report shall identify each contribution solicited, directly or indirectly, by the candidate, the name of the person or entity contributing the funds, the name of the political committee or electioneering communications organization on behalf of whom such funds were solicited, the amount of the contribution, and a description of the relationship between the candidate and the political committee or electioneering communications organization, if any.”

Whew. That’s a lot of disclosure. Ladra is wagging her tail.

Read related story: Ethics Commission finger waving plays important role

Same goes for electeds, who now have to file a report monthly even when they are not running for office. Bonus!

Failure to file a report will result in up to $5,000 in fines for violations found by the Commission on Ethics and Public Trust. As if they don’t have enough to do.

Increased transparency and accountability dlcavahas been my priority since I ran for office and this legislation is a simple, common-sense step towards a more engaged and informed Miami-Dade,” Levine Cava said in a statement. “Our entire community benefits when the relationship between citizens and our government is stronger and more participatory.”

Not everybody agreed. Commissioners Audrey Edmonson, Jose “Pepe” Diaz and Xavier Suarez voted against it. Ya think they just don’t want the extra paperwork?

Suarez told the Miami Herald he was concerned about First Amendment violations, which is silly since the state already has the same thing for state legislators and candidates and electeds are already required to disclose other things. Diaz said he was against it because he wants to raise money quietly for a group of veterans. Well, if it’s a PAC, it’s a group of veterans that support political action or candidates, so that’s not the same thing, Pepito. Also, is this the same guy who wants cameras in tow when he gives away hundreds of Thanksgiving turkeys. And since when do politicians not want to be known for raising money?

The ordinance now goes to committee in January for a full hearing and then back for a second reading at the commission, probably in February.

But can we ever really do that? Can we ever be sure that our electeds andmoneyman candidates are being transparent? After all, there are non-profits involved in campaigns now that do not have to disclose how they get their money or where they spend it.

The most recent local example is some outfit calling itself the Business Advisory Council, which has paid for two different radio commercials touting the excellent work and skills of our Mayor Carlos Gimenez. Nobody knows who they are or where that money is coming from.

Kudos to Levine Cava for a good idea and a first step. But I dare her to include non-profits in her legislation.

Or would more commissioners vote against it?

7 Responses to "Shades of shady Miami Beach PAC in county disclosure law"

  1. Dearest Ladra,

    There are glaring errors and omissions in your story.

    First, there aren’t any CCEs any more. The state did away with them a long time ago. They were all dissolved by the state, per Florida law. They were replaced with revamped requirements for PACs.

    Second, Daniella’s proposed ordinance does not mirror the state’s. Hers goes further, much further, onto a slippery slope of unconstitutionality. The state has a blanket disclosure requirement that covers the entire PAC, ECO or other 527. You fill out a form, and everyone knows you are associated with that PAC. This law is constitutional and will survive any challenge. She wants to have every single individual solicitation disclosed. This is very impractical, a legitimate undue burdon, and a infringement on free speech. This will not survive a legal challenge.

    Third, I never read about all the soft money Daniella raised. Maybe I am not reading the right media. She is like every other successful candidate in that she raised significant, material amounts of soft money to win. I estimate she raised, directly or indirectly, about $250,000 (boy, Lynda Bell sure made a lot of enemies). In fact, her allies, the unions in particular, were probably the biggest factor in her victory.

    Fourth, I never read about the logical and corrosive consequences of such feel-good measures. Look at Miami Beach. They outlawed contributions from lobbyists, vendors, et al. All that did was drive even more massive amounts of money to PACs, etc. Why not just raise contribution limits directly to candidates, and have more frequent disclosure requirements? Other states do it this way.

    Fifth, Carlos Gimenez and Phil Levine certainly are dickheads, but all of their soft-money contributions and expenditures are completely out in the open, for all to see. It’s not hard to follow Phil’s transfers to other PACs. My middle schooler can figure it out.

    Thank you for your time.

  2. Daniella Levine shows, once again, that she is an ethical human being. In addition, she is the best commissioner that has served on the Miami Dade bored since the past 40 or 50 years.

    I only wish that we could let more officials like her. That icicle background that she is displaying is overwhelming.

  3. “Directly or indirectly” sounds like a direct attack on the mayor’s gusano, little Brian Crapmeier. Every call he makes he reminds people he is “calling on behalf of Mayor Gimenez.” Daniella will have to deal with a veto threat to get this legislation approved.

  4. Thanks For Trying ! What We Really Need Is a Full Investigation On Corruption in OURCOUNTY .
    Their Own Public Records will Kill Them, The MIAMI HERALD June 15 2014 had a list of Donors and Found How They Bought their Votes including TA The Transportation Co. $51,000.and They Already got Their Return this Year with Luxury Shuttle contract W/ No RFP from MIA.
    Call it transparency but it is more like Try to Stop SPIFFS !

  5. After 20 years back home to South Florida after decades in New York City I must say lobbyists here in South Florida are beyond belief in how they get public benefits for their clients from elected officials. Money”s influence in South Florida’s cities is more than anywhere else in the USA and lobbyists include those for non-profits sho can be worse than for profits especially in both poor communities n even wealthy ones like the Miami City Ballet on Miami Beach or the various shadowy non profits named Bonnet House in Ft Lauderdale.

    • Count LF Chodkiewicz Chudzikiewicz knows nothing. Miami Beach is one of the only cities in the country where the best candidate actually gets elected, with or without money.

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