It’s becoming a broken record: Politicians lie or cheat or steal or hide something or otherwise fail us and when Ladra 
exposes it — or simply points out something curious that they don’t want anyone to notice — they shout “witch” to redirect the attention from themselves.
This has happened to Ladra over and over again since I started Political Cortadito in 2010. First it was former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina in the 2011 recall mayoral race claiming that Carlos Gimenez was paying me. Then it was his successor, Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez, claiming that former Mayor Raul Martinez had paid me off in his comeback attempt. Then it was Carlos Gimenez, in a strange twist, whose family told people that the PBA was paying me to write critical posts about Not So Golden Boy. Then it was then congressional candidate Carlos Curbelo, telling reporters that the only reason I wrote about him putting his company in his wife’s name to intentionally hide his client list from the public — a story that broke on Political Cortadito — was because he didn’t advertise here. After that, it was Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine who called me a “paid political assasin.”
There have been a few, less memorable others. The latest clown to make these spurious accusations is Doral Mayor Luigi Boria.
First, in a video he emailed to supporters on Saturday, where he called me Ileana del Valle — getting my name wrong three times — and said that he had “received information” that I was a paid operative on the campaign. Then, again, 
in a hastily called press conference at his personal office Monday morning, he said “numerous sources” had told him that former Mayor J.C. Bermudez and former Counciwoman Sandra Ruiz — who came in third place in the first round and has since endorsed Bermudez — paid me to write a post that exposes the link his family has to an election fraud investigation. He announced that he had filed a complaint against me with the Florida Division of Elections and the State Attorney’s Office. He provided the news media at the press conference with copies of the complaint with the Elections Commission and the request for an investigation with the SAO.
Read related story: Nasty Doral race tops $1 mil approaching runoff
First off, there would have to be a crime for the SAO to investigate. I called a source to ask if they had received the request. He laughed. “I don’t like the price of eggs but we can’t open an investigation into it. We deal with crimes here.” He assured me that even if I had been paid by the Bermudez campaign, it would not be a crime. As far as the Elections Commission is concerned, the complaint is against Bermudez. The claim is that he did not report my alleged fee in his campaign report.
But, dear readers, it is not in the report because no payment was made. Boria admitted to the press at his little dog and pony show that he has no evidence (because there is none). You know when I am paid by somebody. Because I tell you. Because it is only unethical if I don’t tell you. And I tell you at some risk and expense. Because you complain. Loudly. You don’t like it. And I don’t blame you. I don’t like it either. I’ve only done it a few times, and only because I felt that my contributions would truly help the right candidate or, at the very least, help get rid of the wrong candidate. It’s always been with the best intentions.
But in those few cases, anyone whose campaign I contribute to knows very well that the blog is off limits to them. There is a firewall — like the one that exists between advertising and editorial at The Miami Herald and at WPLG Local 10 — and Political Cortadito will never be used to smear someone’s opponent with lies or exaggerations or the wrong context or to bring up old and irrelevant arrest records on people who help or support their opponent. Have the suggestions (read: requests) been made? Perhaps. And I’ve loudly refused and made it known that under no circumstances would the blog be used as a campaign tool. It may not have always gone over well. Oh, well.
And the few times I have written about races in which I have been involved (during the Raquel Regalado and Ralph Cabrera campaigns) it has only been because the mainstream media has missed important stories, angles, details or connections — or the inside baseball shenanigans that are the very reason Political Cortadito exists. Trust me, when I am wearing my media consultant’s hat, I would much rather get the Miami Herald or Michael Putney or Erika Carrillo to cover some issue or conflict of interest for my candidate. But when they miss, and they sometimes do because everybody is cutting back on local coverage, it’s Ladra’s fair bone to pick.
Why should my carefully chosen candidates be deprived of something others get for free?
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