MIAMI.- The commissioner of Miami Joe Carollo face new accusations of the businessmen Bill Fuller and Martín Pinilla, who now link his wife, Marjorie Carollo, in the litigation that dates back more than five years, for supposedly having benefited, according to a document that reached DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS unofficially, of some activities related to the office of the municipal legislator.
The plaintiffs, who recently won a federal civil complaint against the commissioner for allegedly violating their First Amendment rights, filed another document with the court on Thursday, January 18 in which They link Carollo’s wife with supposed economic income associated with programs or commercial activities of different kinds.
According to the document, Carollo would have used his public position to financially benefit his wife through various means.
The complainants mention as a “public allegation” that the commissioner’s wife would be receiving profits from the event.Little Havana Friday”, through a local media outlet to which they allude, “that he would pay Carollo’s wife, probably through his (own) company MTC Group Inc.”
This cultural activity features local and international artists from various musical genres, such as salsa, merengue, bachata, reggaeton, pop and rock, among others. In addition, the event offers typical food, crafts, games and entertainment for the whole family.
Other accusations
Likewise, they point out in the new lawsuit that the contract of a “million dollars without bidding,” which Carollo “awarded to a friend (they do not mention the name of the supposed friend)” to install a “Cat and Dog Walkway at Bayfront Parkthe legislator’s wife “would have” obtained “a part of that million dollars.”
The Dog and Cat Park is a permanent exhibition of 52 sculptures of dogs and cats of different breeds, painted by local artists, located in the Maurice A. Ferré Park, in the downtown of Miami.
The project was promoted by Commissioner Carollo, with the objective of beautifying public space, promoting Hispanic culture and attracting tourists to the area. The park officially opened on February 10, 2023.
Another of the accusations indicates, under the expression “it is alleged”, that “Carollo is generating money for his wife’s company through his acquisition of the Tower Theater on Eighth Street.”
This stage opened in 1926 and was a place of entertainment and culture for Cuban refugees in the 1960s. The theater is currently managed by Carollo’s office, after the City of Miami ended its 20-year alliance with Miami Dade College.
Likewise, Fuller and Pinilla refer in the document to some alleged “funds that Carollo would be receiving from a series of companies that operate under the brand Roadway Towing and Transportation”, a towing and transportation company serving customers in Miami-Dade County and surrounding areas.
They assure that “it is known” that this company “is close to Carollo and that it took over the towing operations of the city of Miami once Carollo took office in 2018.”
The recent accusations are added to another lawsuit that the businessmen presented on January 17 to try to remove Carollo from his position on the Miami Commissionby arguing that he forfeited his right to office after being found liable by the jury in the case of alleged violation of the First Amendment.
In addition, a federal court ordered the city of Miami to garnish Carollo’s salary to pay the more than $63 million that, according to a court ruling, it should pay the plaintiffs, for compensatory and punitive damages, according to official records.
Defending
Although Commissioner Carollo’s office has not publicly responded to these new accusations, the legislator’s wife wrote on her Instagram account “now the perverse individuals who sued my husband as they have NOT been able to bring him to his knees, have submitted another document to the court.” where they make meaningless, baseless, unproven allegations about me, inventing all kinds of lies about me. financial benefits that I have NEVER received”.
He added that “these allegations without presenting a single piece of evidence come from alleged conversations with the public without giving a single name.”
He also said that “Defamation is a serious act that can cause significant damage to a person’s reputation and well-being“It is unacceptable even those who try to echo these insults and it is essential to remember that defaming someone without strong evidence can have legal consequences.”
DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS is awaiting an official statement from Commissioner Carollo’s office.
