Miami-Dade School Board member Renier Diaz de la Portilla is under investigation for allegedly skirting bidding rules to pay for a mailer that could help his brother in a political campaign to succeed their other sibling as state senator.
Renier Diaz de la Portilla said the mailer, approved by a School Board lawyer, was legitimate and that the investigation launched by the county's inspector general was ``politically motivated.'' It stemmed from a complaint made by Miguel Diaz de la Portilla's campaign opponent, Julio Robaina.
Robaina, a Republican like the three brothers and currently a state representative, says the mailer was akin to a taxpayer-funded campaign piece because it targeted reliable Republican voters in the senate district.
Total cost: $23,400, though Miami-Dade's school board has halted payments on the contract until the investigation is over. The state attorney's office has now launched a related criminal probe, according to WFOR-CBS4, a Miami Herald news partner, which broke the news of the probe this week.
More here
CBS4 story with video here
No getting out of this one. Caught with the proverbial hand in the cookie jar!
Posted by: say goodnight gracie! | December 24, 2009 at 05:31 PM