Former Miami Commissioner Sabina Covo, who ran on a platform of fighting corruption, is currently under investigation for “remuneration by candidate for services, support, etc. and bribery.”
Remuneration? Yeah, that means promises of money or jobs by a candidate for support of her candidacy and it is illegal under Florida Statute 104.071.
Remember that in November, shortly after making it into the runoff against activist and financial planner Damian Pardo — who went on to win the second round — Covo was accused of promising a job to attorney Eddy Leal, who had come in third with 15% of the vote in the Nov. 7 election, and a juicy contract to Downtown Neighbors Alliance President James Torres, who came in fourth with 10%.
Leal denied any such deal. But Torres told Ladra back in November that he met with Covo and her consultant Christian Ulvert the day after the election at the Ritz Carlton in the Grove. He wouldn’t speak about it on Saturday, citing a “gag order” he was under from the state attorney’s office.
But back then, Torres told Ladra that Covo and Ulvert wanted to know what it would take to get his endorsement. “I said I would have to think about it,” he said in November. The next day, he texted Covo and said he would rather meet with just her. They met at the same hotel and she offered him a $120,000 contract from the Omni Community Redevelopment Agency for a ghost job.
Read related: Did Miami’s Sabina Covo offer Eddy Leal a job in exchange for endorsement?
“She can do that because she controls the CRA now,” he told Ladra in November. And because she learned from the best, of course.
He also told Ladra, in November, that Leal confirmed he had been offered a position at the city, where he had formerly worked as counsel to Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.
In a text message to Ladra, Covo on Saturday said that the investigation came as news to her.
“This is quite surprising, as I haven’t been contacted by any agency or the governor’s office,” Covo said. “I led with the highest ethics and integrity and any review of my tenure, including my campaigns, will confirm as such. I’m sure this is nothing more than detractors trying to generate headlines.”
When the accusations first came up in November, she issued a more benign statement:
“I am grateful to have Eddy Leal’s support in my election. The only commitment made to him was my promise to continue to lead with great ethics and integrity and a passion to get things done, as I have shown since my election on February 28th,” she said, referring to the special election she won earlier last year. “Eddy is a dedicated resident who cares about the future of the city, and his work within the city shows he has deep knowledge of our community’s strengths and challenges.”
As Ladra noted back then, Covo did not say that she didn’t offer him a job. In fact, this sounds like she could be listing the reasons why she would employ him.
Read related: Commissioner Sabina Covo billboard boasts fight vs corruption — what fight?
Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez-Rundle has recused herself from this case, again, because she is a “close associate” of one of the witnesses. Possibly Ulvert, who, as one of her consultants, billed her more than $150,000 in 2020 for phone banks, advertising and mailers, among other stuff.
At what point does KFR just have too many “close associates” to be our state attorney?
On Feb. 1, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Broward State Attorney Harold Pryor, who is also prosecuting the bribery and money laundering case against former Miami Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla, who must have taught Covo everything he knows.
Sabina Covo is under investigation for promising job, contract in election added by Ladra on
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