Well, here we go again.
Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago has once more threatened to sue Ladra and Political Cortadito. This time, it’s over a post a few days ago that exposes his unprofessional relationship with his “Chief of Staff to None” Chelsea Granell and how that is not only evidence of Lago’s duplicity and hypocrisy, but also a liability for the city. Granell wants to sue also.
This is according to their respective attorneys, Mason Pertnoy — who also represents Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo — and David Rothstein, partner at the prestigious Dimond, Kaplan and Rothstein firm. Don’t worry, dear reader. Granell can afford it. She was promoted by Lago five whole pay grades at once, as chief of staff where there is no staff, and makes more than $90,000 a year. Their attorneys would have you believe that this is not relevant, nor connected to the personal, emotional relationship they have.
Ladra refuses to use the word romantic because, well, ew.
“We are aware of certain defamatory and libelous statements made by you and/or your agents on https://www.politicalcortadito.com/ (the “Website”) regarding an alleged affair between Mayor Lago and his Chief of Staff, Chelsea Granell (“Ms. Granell”),” Pertnoy’s letter, giving me five days to retract, starts. “Specifically, on March 27, 2025, you (writing through your admitted pseudonym “Landra”) falsely stated, inter alia, that Mayor Lago and Ms. Granell were engaged in an adulterous, emotional, and physical affair. The headline of the “article” itself (“Mayor Vince Lago’s personal affair with chief of staff becomes campaign fodder”) is false, libelous, and defamatory.”
This is an interesting paragraph for various reasons. First, agents? I have agents? This is news to me. Second, it’s not Landra, it’s Ladra. Sloppy work for a high-priced suit. Third, Ladra never used the word “adulterous,” because, again, ew.
And, also, we didn’t have to.
Read related: Mayor Vince Lago’s personal affair with chief of staff becomes campaign fodder
The letter puts the word “article” itself in quotations.
“The message in the article is clear. You allege Mayor Lago and Ms. Granell engaged in a ‘real affair’ and Mayor Lago abused his position of power by providing her with improper benefits and unearned compensation. These statements are patently false, and wholly unsupported by the referenced public records request from an unverified person with blatantly suspicious intentions.”
For the record, these statements are not false. She is the chief of staff of nobody. There was a part timer who lasted a couple of months before she left. The “referenced public records request” has been amended to request information about her exit from the mayor’s employ. Also, the statements don’t have to be supported by the public records request, they are supported by other sources, facts and simple observations. Like that Granell is chief of staff of a staff of none.
Also, for the record, the post in Political Cortadito specifically mentions the “suspicious intentions” of the public records request. It looks like a campaign tactic. But a public records request is a public record. And the documents and records sought — including texts messages and other communications — seemingly show an inside knowledge of events surrounding the, ahem, alleged affair.
Pertnoy is educational in his approach.
“As I am sure you know, Florida law provides an unusually high protection of personal reputation,” he wrote, citing a case that has to do with a surgeon at a hospital in Ft. Pierce. He gave me five days to retract the story or face possible litigation.
Thanks for the quick lesson, Mase.
Chelsea Granell, fourth from left, on what looks like Halloween, where she and Mayor Lago have matching pirate costumes.
And, as I am sure Mr. Pertnoy knows, courts don’s see politicians and surgeons in the same light and haven’t given the same unusually high protection for elected officials, who are public figures. With criticism from independent journalists, no less.
And, as I am sure Mr. Pertnoy knows, the threshold for libel in Florida is pretty high. There are three elements that have to be proven. First, he would have to prove that Ladra knew the information posted on Political Cortadito was false. It’s not. Ladra spoke with several sources, some very, very close to Granell, who provided context and details.
Secondly, they would have to prove malice. That means he has to prove that Ladra posted the information with evil intentions in mind. The only reason the exposé was posted was because there was a public records request that has apparently made the rounds — Ladra spoke with several people who had seen it and sent it to her — and because it is relevant as the mayor campaigns with attacks about a 101% raise that commissioners, including his opponent, gave themselves, which means they still make less than Granell.
The hypocrisy is relevant.
Read related: Kirk Menendez strikes back at Coral Gables Mayor ‘Lyin’ Vince Lago’
The last thing that has to be present for there to be libel is that the plaintiff’s reputation must be sullied. That’s hilarious. Not just because the people who read Political Cortadito mostly have their minds made up — there are the fans who hate L’Ego already and the haters who love him no matter what — but because Lago has done enough to hurt his own reputation. He needs no help there.
All three elements have to be present.
Ladra doesn’t blame Pertnoy — who also represents Lago in his equally baseless defamation lawsuit against Actualidad Radio — for taking this on, despite its obvious lack of merit. These are billable hours for him. It’s Lago that is to blame for trying to silence his critics. Granell is just being taken for a fool.
That post about the relationship has been met with some mixed reactions. Some, and not just Lago lackeys, think it crossed a line and is in bad taste. But it has also received praise from others who say Ladra exposed a situation that is not just inappropriate — and a real character trait of a mayoral candidate — but relevant. And it could pose a risk to the city. How do we know that he didn’t coerce this young woman into a relationship with a powerful man? How do we know she’s not going to claim sexual harassment later? What if someone with knowledge of the relationship used it to pressure (read: blackmail) the mayor into a vote?
Ladra hadn’t even thought of that last one until someone raised the concern in a comment.
This is not the first time that a personal out-of-office relationship between two city employees in the Gables becomes political fodder. There was once a city manager who was sued for sexual harassment by the secretary of the then-mayor, which was part of the reason that manager resigned.
So, the relationship is relevant. To say otherwise is like saying the relationship between Gary Hart and Donna Rice was not important. Just business as usual and not monkey business (sorry, I had to).
Needless to say, the deadline came and passed. The five days to respond were up on Wednesday, and crickets. This is an obvious bluff. I am anxiously awaiting the lawsuit so I can depose the mayor and Granell on a bunch of stuff.
Read related: Under fire, Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago sues Cuban radio station for libel
They already got my answer, though. A big fat no. I mean, through my attorney, a big fat no.
“In response to your request for a retraction, the answer is ‘no,’” wrote David Winker to Pertnoy. “My client rejects your assertion that this is a false statement. And she stands by the article as true and accurate in all respects.”
He also added something Ladra wishes she had thought of, and that’s why Winker is her attorney: “Please be sure to have your client, Vince Lago, save all relevant emails, texts, and ‘chats’ regarding his relationship with his Chief of Staff, Chelsea Granell.”
There has been no response to my his letter — nor any lawsuits filed.
Demand for Retraction from Mayor Vince Lago’s attorney to Elaine de Valle, award winning journalist at Poli… by Political Cortadito on Scribd
Letter from Chelsea Granell’s attorney demanding a retraction and threatening to sue by Political Cortadito on Scribd
The post Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago and chief of staff threaten to sue Ladra appeared first on Political Cortadito.
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