Add another son to Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s lobbying clan

The Gimenez clan grip on Miami-Dade tightens.

A second son of Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez has registered to lobby the county: Julio Gimenez — better known as the bad boy arrested in 2006 for drug possession and 2009 for disorderly intoxication after a bar brawl — registered this summer to lobby for Miami-Dade Steel, LLC, which wants to build a steel mill in the southernmost part of the county.

Julio Gimenez joined brother CJ Gimenez on the list of registered lobbyists with the county, moving in on his turf. According to Claude Francis, the county’s lobbyist registrar, Julio Gimenez — who completed his ethics training on June 15 — checked the box where he is exempt from paying the $490 fee because he said he was a principal in Miami Dade Steel.

There is nothing in the state corporate records to indicate that. But the corporation was filed in Delaware, a state with laws that are generally favorable to business, using a corporation trust, which is often used for secrecy.

Is it possible that Julio Gimenez has a small percentage of Miami Dade Steel? Sure it is. It is also possible that he does not or that he gets that small percentage as a participatory fee, like a trade for his palanca, er, lobby services. There is no proof required at the county. It’s an honor system for lobby registrations. Uh huh.

But, just as importantly, who else owns it? Who is Julio Gimenez really working for?

Julio Gimenez, center, in 2011 at an MCM project

According to a recent Miami Herald story, Miami-Dade Steel, which formed in April this year — just after the president put additional tariffs on imported steel for construction — wants to build a modernized $240 million steel mill complex on 120 acres of land, including some county-owned property, near the Homestead Air Force base but just outside the city.

The Herald story says that Tania Cruz, the wife of the mayor’s other lobbyist son, also did some work for the company but was no longer representing them. Who else is involved? Ralph Garcia Toledo? Joe Carollo?

While Mayor Gimenez has recused himself, as required, from discussions or negotiations dealing with Miami-Dade Steel, Chairman Esteban “Steve” Bovo — his buddy and the heir apparent to his throne — will definitely consider what Carlitos wants before he acts on his behalf and Deputy Mayor Jack Osterholt, the mayor’s official liaison on all Miami-Dade Steel matters, is gonna wanna do whatever makes the boss happy.

Ditto for Dennis Moss, whose wife has an airport job she may or may not have earned and who met with Julio Gimenez already, according to the Herald story.

And this is just Julio’s first lobbying gig. Certainly it won’t be his last. After all, most of his siblings live off his Papi’s job and political palanca, why shouldn’t he? His wife, Barby Rodriguez, has a cushy job for a PR company that just happened to get the “public outreach” contract for the county’s water and sewer department. Here’s the happy couple, photographed right, when they’re not working.

Both Rodriguez and Cruz also get bank as campaign consultants for Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo, a Gimenez ally. And CJ Gimenez, the other lobbyist son, has basically made his career from his family ties and is currently on teams representing the Miami Freedom soccer franchise and Formula 1 racing.

Of course, Julio Gimenez has benefited from his dad’s position before. When he worked for Facchina Construction, Mayor Papi awarded them a no-bid contract on the $4-million repair job for the roof of the Arsht Performing Arts Center. Before that, he worked at Munilla Construction Management, the mayor’s inlaws who get so many water and sewer and other county projects.

This could show that the Gimenez clan is anxious to squeeze every last taxpayer dollar they can before Papi terms out in 2020.

Add another son to Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s lobbying clan added by Ladra on October 17, 2018
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