Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo took the stand Monday to defend himself against accusations of stalking, harassment, lies and retaliation, all made by the owner of Little Havana's Ball & Chain.
Bill Fuller, the restaurant and club owner, filed the suit against the commissioner. He claims Carollo weaponized the city’s police and code enforcement departments to shut down several of his businesses in Little Havana because they supported his political opponent.
Fuller is now suing for millions of dollars in monetary damages and even more in punitive damages to deter others in power from allegedly abusing it.
In federal court, Carollo appeared combative and accused witnesses of lying under oath. He claimed that witnesses who testified before him, like his former staffers at city hall, lied under oath about Carollo’s alleged efforts to shut down businesses.
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In a court filing, Carollo insisted, “The actions were not retaliatory and were legal and proper official actions intended to protect the health, safety, and welfare of city residents.”
When asked about snooping around Fuller’s restaurant with a code enforcement officer, Carollo responded, “Sir, I don’t sneak around any properties.”
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And when asked about allegations he defamed Fuller on Spanish language radio — by saying he was connected to the corrupt socialist dictatorships in Cuba and Venezuela — Carollo said, “I was trying to defend myself by a lot of attacks been launched against me, expressing my first amendment rights.”
Carollo often danced around questions, going off on political narratives — with the judge throughout the hearing ordering Carollo to stop talking and answer the questions.
The trial is racking up millions in attorney fees. NBC6 has not been able to get an answer for several months on how much taxpayer money is being used in Carollo’s defense.
