Miami's Mayor Francis Suarez faces scrutiny after reports surfaced that he's been moonlighting as Saudi Arabia's image polisher, the Miami Herald exposed. In a quest to whitewash its reputation marred by human rights violations and the infamous murder of a journalist, Saudi Arabia tagged Suarez for some major PR rehab during a swanky global trade summit, widely known as "Davos in the Desert."
Suarez's entanglement doesn't end with photo-ops and handshakes with royalty. He's raking in over a million at an international law firm that counts the Public Investment Fund—the Saudi wealth fund—as a major client. According to the Herald, this connection has given the Saudis a valuable friend, prompting questions on whether the mayor's balancing act crosses lines. The Herald points out that Mayor Suarez has charged ahead.
The Political Wire notes that Suarez's machinations have significantly benefited a major client of his international law firm.
A congressional probe is zeroing in on Suarez's Saudi escapades, concerned about how strategic investments and PR stunts could be tactics to salsa over human rights issues. The Senate investigation is not just picking at Suarez—the whole Saudi influence operation is under investigation, from their swanky golf tour to their board seat at Uber.
