Ethics Commission Eyes Miami Mayor's Side Deal With Developer

The side hustle is a way of life for many in South Florida trying to keep up with the high costs of living.

Even Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who makes $130,000 in government salary, has side jobs as a lawyer, consultant, and adviser.

But now one of those arrangements – which a lawsuit this month revealed paid him $10,000 a month – has the attention of the county’s Commission on Ethics and Public Trust.

That’s because, the Miami Herald first reported, the development company paying him has allegedly stated the mayor has helped them navigate permit issues with the city Suarez leads.

Suarez is allowed to be paid by private clients, but the county code prohibits him from using his office “to secure special privileges or exemptions” for or to get paid for “services rendered” to a client seeking some benefit from the city, according to the commission’s executive director Jose Arrojo.

The Miami-Dade State Attorney says it will “coordinate our review of the allegation” with the commission.

One likely focus for investigators: a meeting that internal documents the Herald obtained – and NBC6 has not verified – stating Suarez, his city manager and the CEO of Location Ventures met in July 2022 to discuss the city’s denial of a key permit for a project in Coconut Grove.

All three men have denied the meeting occurred.

But according to the Herald’s reporting, the Location Venture company documents they obtained state Suarez was helping them secure the permits, which were approved in early January 2023.

Less than three weeks later Suarez and the company’s chief executive, Rishi Kapoor, were celebrating the project at a public groundbreaking ceremony.

Suarez’ spokeswoman, Soledad Cedro, told NBC6 “the paper stated there was a meeting between the mayor and Mr. Kapoor and the city manager and that meeting never occurred.”

Kapoor, Suarez and city manager Art Noriega did not return calls seeking comment.

A lawsuit filed earlier this month against Location Ventures by a fired executive revealed the $10,000 monthly payments to Suarez “for unknown services.”

In answer, the company stated, “Suarez has a written consulting agreement … (that says) Suarez may recuse himself to resign from his advisory role should there be any conflict of interest.”

His spokeswoman said there is no conflict.

According to a memo from the Office of the City Attorney Victoria Méndez, "the Mayor and other city elected officials can accept any outside employment as long as it does not conflict with their official duties. The duty to disclose a conflict rests with the elected official. There is no law that requires elected officials to get pre approval of outside employment agreements or legal clients through my office."

Now, investigators will take a look, something a city commissioner told NBC6 he welcomes.

“I want to clear the air,” said Commissioner Manolo Reyes. “We want to know exactly what is going on, because we want to know if it’s legal or if it is illegal or not. But we cannot have the state of what we’re doing now, where the only thing we’re doing is just guessing.”

Lawyers involved in two lawsuits naming Locations Ventures did not return calls seeking comment.