With Florida’s 2020 primary election less than 30 days away, the highly anticipated general election cage match between incumbent Rep. Debbie Mucarsel- Powell (D) and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez (R), has already taken off.
President Donald Trump and Republican congressional leadership having already backed Mayor Gimenez, so, Rep. Mucarsel -Powell’s congressional campaign have ramped up their swipes against Gimenez and are trying to capitalize financially off of the attacks.
Why not? This is politics, and in the boogie down known as Miami, mang, this kind of arroz con pollo politicking is a way of life. Dale! Azucar!
In a recent fundraising email put out by Team DMP, Gimenez is referred to as a corrupt politician for allegedly approving to give himself a “67% raise” in pay and “increase his own pension.”
Here is how the DMP email ask reads:
Carlos Gimenez:
- Put his name on a series of public health announcements outside of his jurisdiction for political gain.
- Approved a 67% pay raise for himself and increased his own pension. He makes $250,000 a year, more than almost every big-city mayor in the country.
- Kept his taxpayer-funded Mercedes-Benz after slashing $400 million in government jobs and spending.
Debbie Mucarsel-Powell:
- Values and demands transparency.
- Has worked to get PPE to essential works, including those in our public transit services.
- Voted to extend housing assistance during the pandemic, raise the federal minimum wage, and multiple other bills that help our community -- not herself.
The facts are clear: corruption is a part of Gimenez’s game -- and it’d only get worse in Congress.
But while ‘DMP’ accuses Gimenez of corruption, Trump victory and Republicans, who are all-but calling Mucarsel-Powell a "socialist Democrat," also are pointing to the fact that her husband, Robert Powell, received $695,000 in pay from a ferroalloys trading company linked to Ukrainian businessman Igor Kolomoisky.
“Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is a hyper-partisan member of Congress who will always follow the socialist Democrats in Washington instead of reaching across the aisle to help Floridians.” –NRCC Camille Gallo
According to the Miami Herald, Kolomoisky has been “dogged by allegations of contract killings and embezzlement.”
Republicans are saying that Mucarsel-Powell and her family have indirectly benefitted from the “corruption” of Kolomoisky’s business interests.
Back in 2018 when ‘DMP’ was challenging then-GOP Congressman Carlos Curbelo, Curbelo’s spokeswoman Joanna Rodriguez stated that Floridians deserved to have a representative who didn’t have any allegiance to that kind of “thuggish corruption.”
“South Florida immigrant families who have fled corrupt regimes around the world know far too well the kind of violence and corruption an oligarch can wage. It’s incomprehensible and disrespectful to believe someone whose lifestyle has been subsidized by a known contract killer for nearly 10 years could look voters in the eye and allege to fight for them,” Rodriguez said.
Robert Powell responded to the allegations and substantial contact or relationship with Ihor Kolomoisky.
“I have never worked for, represented, answered to, or received any payment from Mr. Kolomoisky at any time,” said Powell in 2018.
Gimenez is currently in a primary race against Firefighter Omar Blanco, who has also pointed to the allegations made against Gimenez. Florida Democrats have also been campaigning against Gimenez using the corruption narrative.
The election is predicated on how President Trump’s presidential campaign finishes. Trump wins, Gimenez probably wins and DMP loses.
