Expect more firings, shake-downs, quid pro quo
The executive director of the Omni Community Redevelopment Agency — who last year fired the ghost employee hired by Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla — is leaving the agency, at the commissioner’s behest.
Jason Walker gets one month of his salary, or $15,000, half his banked sick days (for a total of $35,568) and two months of health insurance, according to the separation agreement approved unanimously at Thursday’s CRA meeting. He’s entitled to all of his accrued sick time but, apparently learning from the shitshow that the Overtown director’s departure became, Walker cut it in half so he could get the hell out of Dodge.
But it would seem the agreement also requires Walker to disclose anything he knows about the investigation into the “employment” of Jenny Nillo, a longtime DLP campaign lackey who was getting paid $53,000 a year for a no-show “job” at the CRA — and the reason why Walker was fired — as well as any other investigation he may know of.
Read related: ADLP power grabs Omni CRA from Ken Russell in Miami — again
To get his payday, Walker has to give up any claims, like whistleblower protection, and agree to “fully cooperate with the CRA and the CITY, including providing information with regard to any litigation or threatened litigation, and any internal or external investigation, audit or inquiry that he has knowledge of because of his prior employment with the CRA.”
Keywords: External investigation.
This section of the separation agreement, which does not seem typical — usually there are non-disclosure clauses, not the opposite — has to refer to the investigation into Nillo and the abuse of power exerted by Diaz de la Portilla in putting her in the job. Nevermind the theft of taxpayer dollars.
In other words, he has to rat people out? That just seems, oh, so Cuban regime-like.
ADLP told Ladra last year that he hired Nillo to keep tabs on what was going on at the CRA. Like his own little spy. “I discovered some improprieties,” he texted. But he didn’t mention any improprieties Thursday at the CRA meeting, improprieties most who know Walker say do not exist.
The ouster was quick and quiet. Diaz de la Portilla didn’t mention the ghost employee investigation, either.
Read related: Alex Diaz de la Portilla is investigated on ghost city employee at Omni CRA
But that’s not the only investigation he may want to find out about. In fact, sources say the Florida Department of Law Enforcement was following Nillo on another investigation — maybe the shakedowns by his brother in the race for county commission, maybe the missing COVID relief gift cards, there are so many to choose from — when they stopped her driving erratically. She reportedly had just picked up DLP’s dry cleaning.
Walker naturally was interviewed by investigators over the Nillo thing and that is why ADLP fired him. Yeah, everyone likes to bring in their own team. That’s true. But Diaz de la Portilla didn’t do that last year when he got the CRA for a few months. And he didn’t do it Thursday. Typically, there is a replacement ready to fill in when the resignations come. Not this time.
And this won’t be the last shoe to drop at the Omni CRA. Political Cortadito predicted Walker’s exit last week and has heard that other CRA employees started dusting off their resumés the moment that Diaz de la Portilla asked for Walker’s resignation, which was within 24 hours of becoming chairman. They expect a new director to fire them and bring in a new bunch of DLP lackeys. After all, Walker can’t be the only CRA employee who was asked about Nillo.
Walker wouldn’t talk to Ladra or even provide a statement after the CRA. meeting. Would you? Better to take the money and run as fast as he can.
Read related: Change at Overtown CRA comes with Christine King — and favors her allies
So who will the new director be? Could it be Diaz de la Portilla’s bagman confidante, former Miami Commissioner Humberto Hernandez, who did almost four years in two sentences for bank fraud and voter fraud? The Dean believes in second chances. After all, Nillo has a federal mortgage fraud conviction, too.
And she still “works” for him at his district office.
It probably won’t be that explosive. But whoever it is will have to do his bidding, which includes cleaning house.
Expect a bunch of new employees and newly-created no-show botella jobs at the CRA. Why? By law, the CRA can use up to 20% of the earmarked taxes it collects on administration. Right now, it is using less than 7%. Because it’s been efficient. That means there are millions of dollars in potential salaries (read: favors or kickbacks) that can be doled out by someone who needs to raise funds to run next year for re-election — or for the open mayor’s seat (more on that later).
Expect projects to get new gatekeepers. You want to build something on a CRA property? You’re going to have to hire Hernandez or one of the commissioner’s brothers. Maybe lobbyist Carlos Lago, who had lunch with the commissioner in Coral Gables recently.
Expect quid pro quo. You want to get a grant from the CRA? Make sure you make a contribution to this or that political action committee.
Unless investigators stop this obvious fox-in-the-henhouse situation before it gets out of hand. In what world is it a good idea to let Diaz de la Portilla manage the agenda of an agency — that is not in his district — with a $68 million budget?
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