Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo's salary to be garnished to pay multi-million judgement, federal order
MIAMI - Taxpayers will not be on the hook for a multi-million judgment against Commissioner Joe Carollo.
Last June, a jury found him liable for violating the First Amendment rights of businessmen William Fuller and Martin Pinilla, the operators of a string of businesses along the Little Havana business corridor that includes the iconic Ball & Chain nightclub.
Carolla was accused of orchestrating a vendetta against them because they supported a rival candidate for political office.
Jurors in the civil trial ordered Carollo to pay $63.5 million in total to the men as a result of the verdict.
According to a federal order, Carollo is ordered to pay $34.3 million with interest to Fuller and $29.2 million with interest to Pinilla.
To satisfy the order, the city of Miami is directed to garnish Carollo's wages each pay period.
A federal statute limits the "amount to be withheld from salary or wages to no more than 25% of any individual defendant's disposable earnings (the part of earnings remaining after the deduction of any amounts required by law to be deducted) for any pay prior or to no more than the amount by which the individual's disposable earnings for the pay period exceed 30 times the federal minimum hourly wage, whichever is less."
Carollo makes $58,000 a year with the city.
The city and Carollo have 20 days to respond to the order.