Many Penelas donors linked to firm's chief

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Wed, Jul. 23, 2003

Many Penelas donors linked to firm's chief
BY PETER WALLSTEN AND JASON GROTTO
[e-mail]

Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas, whose campaign pledged to reject contributions for his U.S. Senate campaign resulting from a controversial e-mail appeal sent to employees of a South Florida healthcare firm, took tens of thousands of dollars from people associated with the company.

A Herald analysis of campaign finance records shows that employees, relatives and business associates of Michael Fernandez, owner and chief executive officer of CarePlus Medical Centers Inc., donated at least $68,000 to Penelas' campaign -- all connected to the same day in May that Fernandez hosted a fundraiser at his home.

Penelas' campaign had pledged not to take contributions resulting from Fernandez's initial fundraising appeal, made in an e-mail by Fernandez colleague Bert Valdes to company physicians and executives.

The e-mail cited potential reforms by Penelas ''that could represent opportunities for companies like ours to increase revenue.'' The e-mail asked that each person donate $1,000 to the mayor's Senate campaign. (snip/...)

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/politics/6361953.htm


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This butthead is the Miami-Dade mayor who stood on the steps of City Hall and announced he would not assist Clinton's Attorney General Reno in retrieving the illegally detained Elian Gonzalez by providing police protection, etc.

This butthead also withheld vital campaign support from Al Gore in Miami, and abandoned his responsibility in the Miami-Dade vote recount.

Now he's trying to get up some speed trying to run for Senator Bob Graham's senate seat, should Graham not run again.

Who needs Penelas?

[seasat]

1. I believe he also supported Jebbie in '98 over Buddy Mckay.

I like Betty Castor and think she will probably get the Democratic Nomination. She will handly whip Jebbie's boy Johnny Byrd.