Rumor on Brian Goldmeier and Truth on David Rivera. By Geniusofdespair

Brian Goldmeier and Mrs. Mayor Gimenez

Mayor Carlos Gimenez pulled support from Jose Felix Diaz because he attacked Gimenez's daughter in law who apparently has a long relationship with Alex de la Portilla his opponent --- including getting arrested with him. Brian Goldmeier the nerdy fundraiser who made it rain dollars for the Mayor is said to still be supporting Diaz. That would be a slap in the face to Gimenez. According to the Miami Herald:

Gimenez withdrew his support shortly after the Miami Herald reported Friday on Diaz de la Portilla's 2012 arrest at a Boston hotel over a lit cigarette.

Diaz de la Portilla was arrested at the Intercontinental Hotel and charged with trespassing along with Gimenez's daughter-in-law, Tania Cruz, who is working for the Diaz de la Portilla campaign and is also a long-time friend of the candidate.

Police observed that suspects were belligerent, intoxicated and stated they were lawyers in Miami --Off. Raymond D’Oyley, Boston Police incident report

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article160217214.html#storylink=cpy

In response to the Herald article, I wrote on Typepad:

Is your daughter-in-law still Married to your son? If so why is he not suspicious when his wife is in another mans hotel room and then working for the same man. Personally if my husband did that--- he would be my x husband...and he is a good cook so it is an even harder decision but I would gladly switch to frozen dinners and dump the chump.

Alex and Tania Cruz - Not Currently Able to Practice Law in Florida According to the Bar

There are more rumors on Goldmeier (once a Democratic fundraiser with ties to Kris Korge) that he may be helping Tomas Regalado (son of the Mayor) despite Mayor Gimenez's supporting of Joe Carollo (Joe was said to be working on Gimenez's Mayoral campaign by many in the rumor circle). Joe is ahead in the fundraising with $210,800. Barreiro's wife has $138,073 and Regalado has $92,055. They are all running in the District 3 race of the City of Miami.

Bottom line: Brian Goldmeier may not be the golden boy of Mayor Gimenez. It appears he may have defied his top client on two separate occasions. Will there be retribution? Maybe not, Brian knows too much.

David Rivera with his former Roommate Marco Rubio

And now to David Rivera, the Miami Herald reported:

Former U.S. Rep. David Rivera funneled at least $69,000 in secret campaign cash to a ringer candidate in the 2012 congressional election, according to the Federal Election Commission — which wants the Republican ex-congressman to pay $486,000 in civil penalties.

and:

Last year, a Tallahassee appeals court upheld a $57,821.96 Florida Commission on Ethics fine against Rivera over improperly disclosed income and double-billed travel expenses, but Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran, who is empowered to fine former state lawmakers, has yet to impose it.

Deomocratic Fundraiser Brian Goldmeier has questionable scruples raising money for Tea Party Candidates Like Lynda Bell. By Geniusofdespair

Sometimes you have to stand for something bigger than a paycheck. How does it feel to align yourself with the Koch brothers Brian - helping them?

Broward Bulldog on Democratic Fundraiser Brian Goldmeier (written by Frank Alvarado, Brian Goldmeier is the guy who can't say NO to disgusting politicians (sometimes you have to have some integrity Brian - He raised $28,655 from Lynda Bell):

With Gimenez, it was tough at the beginning for Brian,” (Brian) May says. “By the time Gimenez made the runoff, Brian had refined his approach, using a softer touch with donors.”

Goldmeier continued dialing for dollars immediately after Gimenez beat Robaina in the June 2011 run-off. The mayor had a short window to amass another war chest before the next election in August 2012. Common Sense Now collected close to $2 million in a one-year span, mostly due to Goldmeier’s relentless soliciting of campaign donations from people doing business at County Hall.

For his efforts, Gimenez’s political action committee paid Goldmeier’s firm, BYG Strategies, $220,076 in consulting fees, plus a $20,000 bonus. In addition, Goldmeier got another $44,919 from Gimenez’s re-election campaign.

One lobbyist, who asked to remain anonymous, says he disliked Goldmeier from the moment he met him. “I promised Gimenez I would raise a few bucks for him,” the lobbyist says. “That led to Brian calling me every half-hour. The guy’s a jerk, but he is effective.”

Goldmeier has parlayed Gimenez’s victories into more fundraising jobs. Building for Tomorrow, a political action committee organized to promote a successful $1.2 billion bond issue for Miami-Dade Public Schools in 2012, paid BYG $74,507.

During the same election cycle, he pocketed $9,000 in fees from another political action committee that pushed a referendum to expand the Key Biscayne Tennis Center. Goldmeier made $154,046 in fees raising money for last year’s Jackson Memorial Hospital campaign for an extra half penny sales tax. The Miami Dolphins also retained him, doling out $9,000 in consulting fees for a referendum that never happened because the Legislature rejected owner Stephen Ross’ attempt to put public financing of Sun Life Stadium improvements on the ballot.

RACKING UP CONSULTING FEES

Today, Goldmeier is working the phones on behalf of the re-election campaigns of incumbent Miami-Dade county commissioners, Lynda Bell, Jean Monestime and Jose “Pepe” Diaz. So far, Diaz is running unopposed.

Commissioners’ campaign finance reports show that Goldmeier’s firm to date has racked up $43,451 in consulting fees. Political action committees supporting the commissioners have paid BYG another $52,360. He’s mainly been tasked with corralling prominent donors for events featuring Gimenez and politically connected hosts.

For instance, Goldmeier set up an April 2013 fundraiser for Bell hosted by the mayor at the house of Rafael and Vicky Garcia-Toledo. Rafael Garcia-Toledo was Gimenez’s campaign finance chairman and chauffeured the mayor to events during the 2011 special election and the 2012 re-election campaigns. Garcia-Toledo’s wife is a high-powered lobbyist whose clients include Genting Group, the Malaysian casino giant and owner of the old Miami Herald headquarters.

The host committee included some prominent Democrats, such as attorney Alex Heckler, who has raised tens of thousands for the Clintons, and Freddie Balsera, a political consultant who is President Obama’s main pitchman to Hispanics in Florida. Interestingly, Bell is one of the most conservative Republicans on the county commission.