Doral Mayor Under Microscope For Role In Land Deal
DORAL (CBS Miami/The Miami Herald) – The Miami-Dade County Commission on Ethics and Public Trust is reviewing the mayor of Doral's role in a land deal.
According to CBS4 news partner, The Miami Herald, soon after Mayor Luigi Boria's son and daughter sold their half of a Doral development company, the mayor asked the city if he could vote on a zoning change that would help get the firm's project up and running.
However, a records review by the paper found the adult children had not fully cut their ties to the development company, Grand Floridian at Doral LLC, and its owner, Juan Carlos Tovar.
Those records revealed the two had loaned Tovar money at the same time they sold their 50 percent stake in the Grand Floridian.
The loan totaled $3.6 million according to the paper.
Tovar is also said to be a former business client of Mayor Boria.
Also, the paper found the mayor may have added to the possible conflict of interest because the mayor apparently had given the adult children $5 million about the same time they bought their share of the land connected to the development project.
Boria told the paper he doesn't see a conflict and has never voted on anything involving the Grand Floridian project.
"What's more, I don't think my kids were obligated to sell because we're in a capitalist country," Boria told the paper. "People should be able to invest their money here."
The Miami-Dade County Commission on Ethics & Public Trust has not indicated whether it will give an opinion on the matter.
The Grand Floridian project is still awaiting final approval from the city council on rezoning a new piece of land for the 17-acre development.
Read The Miami Herald story here.
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