U.S. Marshalls have begun the process of seizing the property of the Miami commissioner after losing a lawsuit for violating the First Amendment rights of two Little Havana businessmen.
A federal judge denied Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo's attempt to stop the collection on the $63M judgement he owes to two Little Havana businessmen after losing a civil trial last year.
A jury awarded businessmen William Fuller and Martin Pinilla the settlement after finding Carollo guilty of violating their First Amendment rights and weaponizing the city's resources against the two men and their businesses.
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In February, U.S. Marshalls started seizing Carollo's home and property, following a January court order to seize the Commissioner's assets.
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Both Pinilla and Fuller have also asked the court to begin the garnishment of Carollo's wages as an attempt to be paid a portion of the settlement.
Carollo's legal expenses were paid by the city through an insurance policy, but in a statement after the judgment, fellow Miami Commissioner Manolo Reyes said the city would not be responsible for paying the massive verdict.
Carollo, in an interview with NBC6 earlier this year, said there's no way he can personally pay the judgment.
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City of Miami commissioner Joe Carollo called the $63 million settlement absurd after a federal jury found him liable in a political retaliation lawsuit.
"I would if I would have been a crooked elected official that had all kinds of money. But unfortunately for them, and they know it, I've been an honest elected official, that I don't have that kind of money and they know it," he said.
In a recent Miami Commission meeting, Carollo was served a summons demanding that he respond to a legal complaint that he resign his seat.
