The Miami Herald reported today that Pastor Gaston Smith said Commissioner used me to get money:Under questioning, the pastor said Spence-Jones, then an aide to Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, had urged him to create the nonprofit in the first place -- and that she had helped arrange the county grant without his knowledge. Smith said he felt like he had been used.
Apparently, the pastor said he paid $8,000 in consulting fees to Spence-Jones. According to the article: "the money came from a $25,000 Miami-Dade County grant to Friends of MLK, a nonprofit organization the pastor ran."
Looks like Michelle Spence-Jones is going to have a mighty short career in politics. And to think she was a finalist in the Eye on Miami beauty pageant (Dec. 2nd Post - she was disqualified shorty thereafter because of shifty behavior and Scott Galvin of North Miami won). Also note that the county is pretty free with our money: That $25,000 came from the County and former County Commission Chair Carey Shuler helped arrange for it. Harry Emilio Gottlieb sent us this amusing illustration to accompany this story:
10 comments:
I think this blog should have a conversation about what is the best bag to package payments to a public official: paper or plastic? Maybe some of the former elected officials who read this blog could weigh in?
paper is the accepted bag type.
Do you believe the Reverend? At his age I don't believe anyone can force him to commit acts contrary to his beliefs. What about Care-Schuler? She appears involved in every transaction by Spence-Jones. The State Attorney should also investigate her involvement in these dealings, while in office and after she retired from the BCC.
Do you really think the SA will investigate a commissioner, past or present, in an election year? Almost impossible to get her to investigate a commissioner in a non-election year. Besides, it's likely Carey-Shuler already took the plea by resigning so quickly; she did not even finish the short time left in her term. Then she fingered looser Edmonson to be her stand-in. If the black community supports Spence-Jones, she is safe, at least until after the SA election or if unopposed at qualifying time.
Pastor Gaston Smith told the investigators Spence-Jones applied for the grant without his permission. Then when it came through she hit him up up for $8,000. This occured while she was working for Manny Diaz. Does anyone know if Manny Diaz knew his staffer was shaking down churches?
Does Marty Margullies know Spence-Jones was extorting money from churches? Marty already paid her $8,000 in fines to the Florida Election Commission so he knows about that quilty plea.
What up with the Mercy Hospital influence peddling?
You are all asking good questions...I don't have answers. You would think Rundle's office would have these same questions as they have the means to get the answers.
I hear the vote by the county commission to move the Urban Development Boundary is coming up on Thursday.
I wonder what kind of bags the lobbyists have been using on those.
County commissioners do not discriminate as long as the contents of the bags are GREEN! Don't think GREEN is because they're environmentally concious!
THE BAG LADY HAS STRUCK AGAIN MS-J,I WONDER WHAT THE PAY OFF WILL BE THIS TIME FROM THE FLA MARLINS
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