Miami Mayor Francis Suarez reaps political, financial gain

It’s clear Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has several masters. But the only ones who seem to be getting short shrift are the very people who elected him to serve them in public office. It’s an office, by the way, that he has enthusiastically leveraged for his own political and financial gain.

Unfortunately, he has shown far less enthusiasm for keeping his constituents top of mind when it comes to keeping them informed about wealthier “constituents” and whether he is putting their interests above those of residents.

As reported in the Herald, he has let the lure of freebies, the chance to peddle influence, well-paying side hustles and a potential turn on the national stage blind him to the imperative — by law — that he act ethically and with transparency.

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The Miami Herald has reported that among the gifts Suarez received were two VIP tickets for himself and his wife, Gloria, each worth a whopping $14,000 for entry to a luxury viewing suite at Formula 1. Suarez also attended as a guest swanky Miami Beach dining satellite events, where fine foods were served by celebrity chefs. The Suarezes mingled with Jeff Bezos, for instance, as they listened to Diana Ross perform.

But he still has not reported who paid for his good time.

His silence became more troubling when it looked to be a bad habit of his. A lawsuit recently filed against a local developer revealed that Suarez had a secret side gig. As reported in the Herald, Suarez, for eight months, quietly worked as a consultant for a developer building a Coconut Grove high-rise, yes, while serving as mayor of the city permitting this developer. The mayor earned $80,000. Again, we had no clue.

Business as usual

We’re not naive. Politicians schmooze, they show up to be seen, they consort with big-wigs.

But as always, this is about access. Access ordinary Miamians do not have to their elected officials. Access that sometimes is accompanied by rude and disrespectful treatment from the City Commission dais. Access that they can’t buy — and shouldn’t have to.

The mayor’s spokeswoman told the Miami Herald Suarez attended the Formula 1 events as part of his mayoral duties and as a local cheerleader.

Regardless, state law is clear. Jose Arrojo, head of the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics & Public Trust, told the Editorial Board. It mandates that elected officials declare and report any gifts over $100, be it cash or the face value of a ticket or event.

Any other arrangement is considered suspect, and that’s the way it should be. An official can be fined or reprimanded for failing to disclose the source of the gifts in quarterly forms. Elected officials also must abide by county and municipal laws.

“I doubt these public officials at this point are unaware of the “gift rule,” Arrojo said. Within 90 days of the election, newbie pols must attend a seminar. This week, the commission will host one in Miami Shores. Maybe Suarez should attend.

These revelations hint at how Suarez attempts to compartmentalize his work as a private-equity executive, an attorney and Miami mayor. He can’t get away with such thinking. He’s using his elected office for his own professional gains, both financial and political, as he, for some reason, thinks he’s ready to seriously contemplate a run for the White House. According to state records, Ken Griffin, CEO of Citadel hedge fund, who has financially supported Republican campaigns across the country, contributed $1 million to Suarez’s political committee on March 7. According to the Herald, Griffin’s donation had not been previously reported.

Suarez has long declined to disclose his private clients to the public while holding an office that pays a salary of $97,000 a year and an expense stipend of about $33,000, the Herald reported. Though Suarez’ spokeswoman acknowledged the mayor’s consulting deal with Rishi Kapoor, the CEO of Location Ventures, there were no details revealed about the nature of the mayor’s work. It appears the mayor wants us to believe that Suarez, the private citizen, worked for the developer, not Suarez, the two-term mayor of Miami.

But Miamians aren’t that gullible.

The mayor’s position comes with limited power — he has no vote on the commission, though he can veto legislation and hire or fire the city manager. Still, that does not mean he doesn’t have clout — and he’s using that to make bank.

Mayor’s unmet goals

When the Editorial Board reluctantly recommended Suarez in his 2021 reelection bid, we said that Miami “needed a leader who can help map out a future that includes everyone in the city, not just the well-off.”

We’re still waiting.

At the time, the mayor mentioned his goals for his current term: revamping the Gusman Theater downtown, getting the years-long fight over the Coconut Grove Playhouse’s future resolved and turning the Miami Marine Stadium back into the gem it once was. Oh, well.

Suarez seems bored with the city now that cryptocurrency, his biggest cheerleading push, has gone bust; he failed to stand up for an embattled police chief that he foisted on the city to great fanfare; and he looks at jumping into the Republican presidential primary.

Miami’s mayor also seems bored by those of us who put him in office, dismissing the public’s trust, while using that office to enrich himself.

The optics of his behavior are bad. The reality of his actions are much worse.