Fred Voccola, the New Jersey-born former CEO of Kaseya and now Vice Chair of the company’s board, is testing the waters for a run for mayor of the City of Miami. Little is known about him outside the tech world, but Miami Dade County records disclose that in 1997 he was arrested and pleaded guilty to indecent exposure in New Jersey.
That revelation, uncovered during due diligence on the Kaseya arena naming rights deal, immediately raises questions about the man now floating himself as a reform candidate.
Despite opening a political committee to raise money, Voccola has not filed the necessary paperwork to officially enter the race. To many in Miami’s political class, this suggests he is more interested in gauging reactions and generating buzz than committing to a real campaign.
Voccola has tried to present himself as an outsider criticizing the corruption and insider politics that have plagued City Hall. But when it came to the most consequential issue of the year, the commission’s attempt to cancel the November election and extend terms beyond their limits, Voccola stayed quiet. He only criticized it when he began to flirt with the mayor’s race, well after Colonel Ret. Emilio González, already a candidate for mayor, had sued the city in court and won.
Adding to that skepticism is his relationship with outgoing Mayor Francis Suarez, who is tied to the effort to cancel this year’s election and extend his own term beyond its limits. Suarez invited Voccola on his podcast, and Voccola later gave Suarez a speaking slot at a major Kaseya conference. Even as Voccola has tried to express outrage over the election controversy, he continues to praise Suarez, leaving many wondering where he truly stands.
Kaseya’s relocation from Boston to Miami was fueled by taxpayer subsidies structured under a program designed by Miami Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins, herself a candidate for mayor. Not only did Higgins design the program, she also touted the Kaseya deal in her official newsletter. Critics blasted it as corporate welfare, arguing that Miami taxpayers were forced to foot the bill so Voccola could relocate and build his profile here.
And during the due diligence process for the Kaseya arena naming rights deal, more troubling details surfaced. In addition to his 1997 indecent exposure arrest in New Jersey, records showed multiple employee lawsuits against Kaseya that included claims of age discrimination and retaliation.
The company also faced severe scrutiny over its customer billing practices, raising further questions about its leadership and oversight. Given the reputational concerns, especially in the shadow of the FTX collapse, county officials were so wary that they required an additional $7 million bond backed by Miami taxpayers to protect the public in case Kaseya faltered or the deal turned toxic.
For someone marketing himself as a fresh face to reform City Hall, the picture that emerges is far less clean: a businessman from New Jersey with a controversial past, a reliance on taxpayer subsidies, repeated legal and customer disputes tied to his company, and a knack for praising the same political insiders he is currently criticizing.
