In recent weeks, the Miami-Dade Democratic Party has taken direct aim at Miami mayoral candidate Emilio T. González, attempting to blunt his growing momentum with a series of partisan and misleading text messages. First, they labeled him the “MAGA Mayor of Miami.” Now, in a move that smacks of desperation, operatives are circulating texts accusing González of being tied to a $5 million airport scam.
The problem? The claim is flat-out false. Far from being involved in the scandal, Emilio González was the public official who helped expose it. The scandal in question dates back to 2010–2015, when Ivan Valdes, a division director within the Miami-Dade Aviation Department, orchestrated a fraudulent LED light purchasing scheme at Miami International Airport. Valdes and his co-conspirators manipulated bids, inflated prices, and even billed taxpayers for lights that never existed. The fraud cost Miami-Dade taxpayers over $5.2 million.
By 2016, Valdes was charged in federal court, and in 2017 he was sentenced to seven years in prison and ordered to repay the stolen funds. U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer called it a “betrayal of public trust,” while Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernández Rundle lamented that Valdes “could have been a great American success story” but instead chose greed, as reported by the Miami Herald.
At the time, Emilio González was serving as Director of the Miami-Dade Aviation Department. Far from being implicated, González stood shoulder-to-shoulder with prosecutors and law enforcement at a press conference announcing the charges. The official statement from the State Attorney’s Office made his role clear: “Emilio T. González… held a joint press conference to announce the charging of a Division Director… as part of a $5 million airport scam.” His leadership was crucial in ensuring that the fraud was rooted out and that Miami International Airport could move forward with accountability and transparency.
The contrast couldn’t be sharper. The Democratic Party’s texts attempt to smear González by linking him to the scam, but the truth is that he worked with state and federal authorities to bring the fraudsters to justice. Instead of tarnishing González’s record, these attacks only highlight the weakness of his opponents. The facts show a leader who not only stopped the City of Miami from canceling its 2025 election, but who also played a role in rooting out one of the county’s biggest corruption scandals.
