The City of Doral and its politics have managed to stay out of the limelight, and for the most part, been able to stay out of any political drama until the 2024 election cycle. When Doral Mayor Christi Fraga (R) and other city council members, including Rafael Pinyero, all voted in favor of a pro-Hamas ceasefire resolution back in May, the weight of the political and Jewish-American world came crashing down on the Miami-Dade County municipality.
After the controversial vote in favor of the resolution was summarily panned by elected officials like Senator Marco Rubio and Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart and Carlos Gimenez, but praised by the likes of Progressive Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, it was thought that was the last time the City of Doral would have to endure public and political scrutiny, at least for a while.
It only took a few months before more drama in Doral came to light.
The Floridian discovered that Mayor Fraga’s political action committee, Next Generational Leaders PC, paid Imagine Factory, LLC for video production services. Imagine Factory is owned and operated by Fraga’s friend Carlos Fung, a former ardent supporter of the late Venezuelan Dictator Hugo Chavez.
Back in 2013, Fung spoke at the Venezuelan embassy in Madrid, Spain, where he praised President Chavez.
"There are many more things that unite us than those that separate us. I believe that sooner or later the liberator's dream of forming a great nation will come true. The same dream also of the new leaders who have been emerging, mainly our eternal commander Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías, who fought so hard for this dream of the liberator to crystallize, regardless of whether or not anyone can identify with his political proposal," Fung said at an event in the Venezuelan embassy in Madrid, Spain about a decade ago.
"We can never and will never forget that President Chávez once again led this dream of continental unity. and he has vindicated for Venezuelans what was our history and our proud past, and we will owe him that eternally," he added.
Antisemitism, Human Rights Violations
Fung's praise for the former antisemitic and murderous dictator came 8 months (November 13, 2023) after Chavez, who referred to Jews as "Christ Killers," died of cancer on March 5 of that same year.
The open support also comes after years of reporting "serious human rights violations" and atrocities committed by Chavez.
"Once detained, government agents have subjected opponents to abuses ranging from severe beatings to torture involving electric shocks, asphyxiation, and other techniques," stated a Wall Street Journal article.
"I want to condemn from the bottom of my soul, from the bottom of my guts: damn you State of Israel! Damn you Terrorists and Assassins," stated Chavez in one of his many antisemitic and anti-Israel rantings.
After the story was posted and Spanish language radio picked up on it, Fraga brazenly denied having paid Fung from her committee and said "There is a company that does by videos that has been paid," reiterating that she did not pay Fung directly.
Fraga also inferred that she did not know Fung owned the company or even worked for the company, but that assertion could be hard to believe considering that one of her very first podcast interviews was with Fung, who just so happens that Fung is wearing a white polo shirt with "Imagine Factory" embroidered on it.
In addition, during the radio interview Fraga criticized The Floridian and the radio show hosts of not doing their "research" e before their respective reporting.
Taking Fraga's suggestion that we should have investigated more, we took a harder look at Fraga's New Generation Leaders PC and found a $5,000 direct payment made to Carlos Fung on 12/12/2022 for "Consulting Services."
"There hasn't been any payment to this person (Fung) from any PAC," said Fraga in denying Fung was ever paid directly from her or her PAC.
The Florida Division of Elections reports for her PC also show that Sofia Fung was paid a total of $24,792.50 for "consulting services", "office work," and "administrative services," over the past few years.
Sofia Fraga is Carlos Fung's oldest daughter.
The Political Slate
With the November 5 election just around the corner, Fung continues to play a role in Doral politics. According to election reports, Fung's Imagine Factory company has also received payments from political action committees that have supported Pinyero and Doral City Council candidate Nicole Reinoso in their respective campaigns.
Fraga, Reinoso, and Pinyero, are all running on the same slate.
