Al Crespo continues to unearth some pretty galling shady shit going on at the city of Miami. Today, Crespo reports on Bert Gonzalez, the $102,000 a year assistant director for the Omni Community Redevelopment Agency, coaching a restaurant owner on how to win approval on a $150,000 grant. "Remember I told you to schmooze the commissioners," Gonzalez wrote in an April 19 email to Steve Haas that Crespo obtained.
Haas is opening a new restaurant at 2004 Biscayne Boulevard called City Hall. He wants to use the $150,000 grant to help his private venture. Gonzalez, a former aide to Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff, also agreed to meet with Haas to give him tips on how to win the grant. Sounds like the Miami-Dade ethics commission or the state attorney's office should set up shop inside Gonzalez's office if this is how he conducts the public's business.
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